





•^■v 

.<^%. 



&' .-". "^. 






%o' 



• u 



'o , » * 



^'(^.^^A 









::> 






,v 






"■•' V 



:V- "^-^ 0^ 






^' --a 







:/ -v^- -^^ -^.v^*;- 



■• ..*' 



K ' • °. 



*^« 



.HO 



•<» 






TV 



-0 c " ' " -. o 









o * 
o 



vO 












v<Jv 



<". 



^'"fe^^'^ 






,,v 



-nz-o^ 









^V - - - - 

♦PI A* 



.0' 












'^'^ .^^ 






.<^^ 










.^ 



Edition limited to seven Ji2i7idred a7id fifty 
copies, and the type distributed. 



REMINISCENCES OF THE 
OLD NAVY 



FROM THE JOURNALS AND PRIVATE PAPERS OF 
CAPTAIN EDWARD TRENCHARD, AND REAR- 
ADMIRAL STEPHEN DECATUR TRENCHARD 



BY 



/ 



EDGAR STANTON MACLAY 

AUTHOR OF "a HISTORY OF THE UNITED 
STATES NAVY," ETC. 




G. P. PUTNAM'S SONS 
NEW YORK AND LONDON 
Q;be Iknicl^erbocUet press 



2ncl COPY, 
189d« 




l^^.T/ 



COI'YRIGIIT, l8q8 
IIY 

G. r. I'UINAM'S SONS 



\ 



"Cbc ftnfchcrboclscr t>rcM, t\cw IJorfc 



To 

CAPTAIN ALFRED TIIAVER MAIIAN, U.S.N. (Rktikeu) 

OUK KOKKMOST WKITKR ON NAVAI. AlKAIKS 

THIS WORK IS KKSI'KC'ri'lH.I.Y 

DKDICATIU) 

nv TIIK AUl'HOK 



CONTENTS. 



I. PvARI^Y Lll'K OK EdWAKI) TrI'.NCII A l; I) . I 

II. — On thk Wicsr Coast of Africa . . 7 

III. — Confessions of a MrosiiiPMAN . . 25 

IV. JOLI.Y MlDSlin'MITK.S . '. . -34 

V. — Oi'F FOR TiiK China Sea ... 47 

VI. — On 'jiie Scene, of Troup.le ... 60 

VII. — 15a'I'ii.e of Till'. Pi'.nio Forts . . 78 

VIII. — A Land Cruise 94 

IX. — Early Servici', in i'iie (jvii. War 102 

X. — First Trti' South .... 116 

XI. — Very Active Cruising . . . 131 

XII. — On the Enemy's Coast . . .148 

XIII. — An Experience withthi'. "Merrimac," J72 

XIV. — Last Cruises as a Suim'ly Si'i^amer . 195 

XV. — SiNKiNo OF the "Monitor" . . 208 

XVI. — On Special Duty 223 

XVII. — Leisurely Cruising .... 237 



VI 



Contents. 



CltAriHR 

XVII I. — A Romantic Ckuisk 

XIX. ImI'OK IAN 1' Cai'iukks 

XX. — Cai'TUrk of thk " Ckonstadt " 

XXI. — Convoy Skrvice 
XXII. — At Fort Fisiikr 
XXIII. — Last Cruisks of vwk " Rhode Island " 
XXIV. — Closing Scenes .... 
Int)ex ........ 



fAGB 
262 

282 
299 

341 

351 










"3 



INTRODUCTION. 



IT is seldom that the " inside history " of 
our navy has been so interestingly re- 
vealed as it is in the journal and private papers 
of the late Rear- Admiral Stephen Decatur 
Trenchard, and of his father, Captain Edward 
Trenchard. The history of the navy, as taken 
from the official reports of our commanders 
and other public documents, has been given to 
the country in various forms, but they, as a 
rule, touch only on well-known actions or er- 
rands of public service with which the general 
reader already is familiar. There are many 
acts of heroism, many thrilling episodes, and 
many romances wrapped up in the private 
lives of our officers which have not been made 
public, and are known only to a few of their most 
intimate messmates. The records left by the 
two Trenchards, covering eighty years of ser- 
vice in the United States Navy, are singularly 
rich in romance and in details of historic inter- 



viii Iiitrodiictioii. 

est. 1( is, in truth, an " iiisiik' liistory " of the 
navy lor the jx riocl lovcicil. Roth the Trcnch- 
arils wvvv careful vvritiTs, aiul had a keen eye 
to mailers ol huin.ui interest. The journal anel 
vaiioMs notes ol a ci uise loi" tlu* suppression of 
the slave trade on the coast oi Africa left by 
tlu" ekler Trenchard are replete with stirrino- 
events, while the extensive journals ol the 
younj^'er I renehard, kej)! while on his cruise 
in the China Sea. and durinL; his remarkable 
career as connnautler ol the United States 
cruiser RlnnU- lsla)id in the lour years ol the 
Civil War. to^ctlu>r with tlu'ir letti-rs anil cor- 
responiK-nce. throw a llood ol li.L;ht im a side 
of our navy's career which has been kei)t too 
nuich in the dark. 

Althoui^h the general work of the na\y dur- 
ini.; the ( i\il W ai' is lamiliar to readers of 
history and current literatuic. yi-t then' were im- 
portant services performeil by our seamen and 
several ^allaiU lights and heroic e|Msodes oc- 
curred which have not bc-en maile public. 1 he 
private journal of Stephen Mecalur rrenchard. 
kept while in conunand (W the Khoiic Isla)id 
durini^ the Ci\il W'ar, contains accounts of 
several actions and many interestino- incidents 
of that struL;i;le that arc> not oeiu-rally known. 



IntrodiKtion. ix 

'I'his journal is singularly forlunalc in IxMiiu- 
one of ihc (^xlrcuK'ly few continuous private 
narratives ol ihe int(;rnecine strife. Nearly all 
ol our ollicei's (luring iIk; war weii^ (i'e(|uenlly 
transferred Iroin one ship to another, so that 
their ini|)ressi()ns ol the stiaiu^ide arc; discon- 
n(;ct(Ml and I ragmen La ry. The vi(;w of the naval 
opera t ions of the war obtained I loni the private: 
|)apers and |ournal ol l\ear Admiral I renchard 
may properly he described as a " hird's-eye 
view." I)urini; the time he was in conunand 
ol [\\v /\ //()(/(■ Is/iniif, |une k ), i.S()i, to ( )ctol)ei-, 
i(S65, he was constant 1)' hoveriui; on the coa;it 
of the scccdini^ States or makini; a dash in the 
West Indi(i.s after some hlockade-runner. 

l'"rom the vcM'y nature of this service; Ticnc h- 
ard was ahle to ohiam unpressions ol the 
strui^^le aloui;; the seahoard which are ol pe- 
culiar intcresL. I'rohahl)' no ollK-r ollicer of 
the navy was so widely known and hecame 
so fannhar in the service as the commander of 
the /.////(■ NIkuIv. /\inon;| some of the nota- 
ble incidents ol his ciaiises were the spirited 
chas(; and capture ol a ( Onh^dei'ate vessel by 
the y iDiicsloioii, the capture; of the British ship 
/\ /(//(!)■(/ (y /)r/('i/, the landiui^ol a detachment 
of seanwu and marines near ( lalveston, when 



X Introduction. 

the Stars and Stripes for the first time were 
replanted on Texan soil by a reij^ular United 
States force after the secession of that State ; 
the adventure of a boat's crew from the Rliodc 
Islaitii after the sinkinjj;^ of the A/oni/o7' ; the 
capture of the Confederate vessels / 'cz/its, and 
I'/xcu, and Cronstadt : the several chases after 
the supposed Alabama^ and the active partic- 
ipation in both attacks on I^'ort bisher. Besides 
these occurrences of more jj^eneral interest, 
there area number of instances of heroism dis- 
played by American seamen, which places them 
on the plane of the historic Reuben James and 
other tars who have become famous in the 
American Navy. It is the purpose of this 
work to put this invaluable material in narra- 
tive form, and to i^ive those interested in the 
navy an opportunity to see it as it was seen by 
an officer actively engaged in the service. 

In the preparation of this book, I am in- 
debted to Edward Trenchard, Escp, of New 
York City, who has placed at my disposal all 
the papers anil correspondence of his father 
and grandfather. 

E. S. M. 

Cm KiKi.i) I'oiN r, 

SilTaukei'. Long Isi.ani>, N. Y.. 

Ja n ua ry jj, i Si)S. 



REMINISCENCES OF THE 
OLD NAVY. 



CHAPTER I. 

KAkl,Y I, UK OF KDWARI) TRKNCFIAKD. 

I)(yi"Il Jul ward Trcnchard and liis son, 
^ Stephen Decatur, be^an life witli tlic 
intention of entcrinj:^ callinj^s that were any- 
thinj:^ but warlike. 'J he i)arents of the former 
fondly lioped that he would achieve fame as 
an artist, while the latter was to become a 
bishop. Each undoubtedly would have made 
his mark had not the puj^macious spirit of Dor- 
sfitshire asserted itself too early in their careers. 
The aesthetic taste of Edward, and the religious 
fervor of Stephen Decatur, however, were con- 
spicuous all through their stormy careers, and 
form a striking feature in their writings. Ed- 



2 The Old Navy. 

ward Trenchard first saw the Hght of day in 
Salem, New Jersey, 1785, and so became a 
contemporary of such famous naval heroes as 
Perry, Macdonough, Decatur, Bainbridge,Hull, 
Lawrence, and Stewart. He inherited a taste 
for the fine arts and at an early age began to 
study under his uncle, James Trenchard, Edi- 
tor of the Columbian Magazine, who had won 
some distinction as a designer and an engraver 
of book-plates. 

Going abroad when sixteen years old Edward 
met Gilbert Fox, the engraver, and returned 
with him to the United States. The voyage 
across the Atlantic seems to have completely 
upset Edward's idea of becoming a great artist, 
as undoubtedly it has done with men of even 
more pronounced cesthetic tastes than his. A 
visit to the home of his ancestors in Dorset- 
shire, England, did much to arouse his warlike 
enthusiasm, for the Trenchards had long been 
noted as sturdy fighters. His grandfather, 
George, had been the attorney-general of New 
Jersey, under the crown, but on the outbreak 
of the Revolution he drew his sword on the 
side of the colonies. In after years, when Ed- 
ward Trenchard had attained the dignity of a 
master-commandant, and commanded the cor- 



Early Life of Edward Trcnchard. 3 

vette Adams, an English cousin of his, Colonel 
Gustavus Hippesly, wrote December 5, 1815, 
seeking a position in Uncle Sam's navy for his 
son ; from which it will be seen that English- 
men even at that early age were anxious to have 
their sons enter a service which had become 
famous. Trenchard replied : " Happy should 
I be if it were in my power to promote the 
wishes of yourself and your son by introducing 
the latter into the navy of the United States, 
but a recent act of Congress closes the army 
and navy against all foreigners who have not 
been naturalized, and as our naturalization laws 
require a residence of five years before the 
rights of citizenship can be acquired, I am ap- 
prehensive that this would prove an insur- 
mountable objection with the head of the 
Department. On this subject, however, I have 
communicated freely with the Secretary of 
State, Mr. Adams, and from the friendly in- 
terest which he takes in the affair, the diffi- 
culty may finally be perhaps surmounted. 
Should this be the case, I shall most assuredly 
give you the earliest information, and in that 
event it will give me great pleasure in receiv- 
ing him aboard my ship. It is not possible 
that he could receive any higher rank than 



4 The Old Navy. 

that of midshipman, and on his own conduct 
and acquirements will his subsequent promo- 
tion depend. The pay and sustenance of that 
class of officers in the navy of the United 
States is equal to $26.50 per month, and 
with the allowance which you propose to 
continue to him would afford him a genteel 
support." 

On his return from England with Gilbert 
Fox, Edward Trenchard seems to have aban- 
doned all thoughts of becoming an artist, and 
on April 30, 1800, a midshipman's warrant was 
secured for him. He was ordered to the Adams 
for a cruise against the French in the West 
Indies. This vessel was then commanded by 
Captain Stephen Decatur, Sr., and it was this 
fact together with the friendship that sprang 
up between young Trenchard and Stephen 
Decatur, Jr., that led to the naming of Tren- 
chard's son, afterward Rear-Admiral, Stephen 
Decatur Trenchard. After the French war 
the Adams was ordered to the Mediterranean, 
and participated in the engagements before 
Tripoli, May, 1803. In the following year 
Trenchard was transferred to the Co7istcllatio7i 
and was present at the bombardments of Tri- 
poli, and also was in that ship when she was 



Early Life of Edward Trcnchard. 5 

fired upon by the Spanish batteries near the 
Straits of Gibraltar, September 21, 1805. 

That the aesthetic nature of Edward 
Trenchard had not been blunted by the "stern 
realities of war," is seen in a letter dated off 
Tripoli, April 5, 1805, to Midshipman Turner. 
Like the friendship that sprang up between 
Decatur and Somers, a strong attachment 
grew up between Trenchard and Midshipman 
Turner. Trenchard wrote, " One winter has 
elapsed since I had the pleasure of seeing you, 
but not one particle of friendship has been 
nipped by its killing frost, but still remains like 
the hardy sailor who gains strength by braving 
the strongest gales that he may not lose his 
reckoning in the dark fogs of forgetfulness." 

After the Tripolitan war, Trenchard served 
in the famous Constitutwii of the home squad- 
ron from 1806 to 1 8 10, and in 181 1 he was 
assigned to duty in the Brooklyn Navy Yard. 
On August 30, 181 2, he began his active serv- 
ice in the war of 181 2, being on that date 
ordered to Sackett's Harbor on Lake Ontario, 
where he was to superintend the building of 
the sloop of war Madison, constructed by 
Henry Eckford. He probably left New York, 
November 28th, in charge of one of the build- 



6 The Old Navy. 

ing parties which made the hazardous land 
cruise from New York to Sackett's Harbor, in 
the most unfavorable season of the year. 
Work on the Madison was pushed with extraor- 
dinary energy. Cooper wrote, " Eight weeks 
before | she was launched] her timber was grow- 
ing in the forest. This unusual expedition is to 
be ascribed to the excellent disposition of the 
commanding officer, and to the clear head and 
extraordinary resources of Mr. Henry Eckford."^ 
Havinor attained the rank of Master-Com- 
mandant, Trenchard assumed command of the 
Madison and took part in the naval operations 
on Lake Ontario. But the most formidable 
enemy our seamen had to contend with was 
the lake fever, the Aladison at one time having 
eighty of her two hundred men on the sick 
list. Trenchard himself was a victim of the 
disease, and on July 21, 181 3, left the station 
to recover his health. On May 15th of the 
following year he rejoined his ship and served 
in her to the close of the war, taking part in the 
engagement off Kingston, September 11, 18 14. 
On the close of the war he commanded the 
yohn Adams, and took part in the operations 
off Algiers, Tripoli, and Tunis, which resulted 
creditablv for the United States. 



CHAPTER II. 



ON THE WEST COAST OF AFRICA. 



IT would be difficult to exaggerate the value 
of the services performed by our war- 
ships In the suppression of the slave trade on 
the western coast of Africa early In the cen- 
tury, and It would be equally difficult to over- 
estimate the hardships and privations to which 
our officers and crews were subjected in this 
hazardous service. Many of the slavers were 
heavily armed and manned by unusually large 
crews, and, as it was shown on more than one 
occasion, they were prepared to fight. In 
fact, some of these craft turned from piracy to 
the slave trade, and vice versa, as circum- 
stances directed, and were quite as dangerous 
to the unarmed merchantman as to the negroes. 
An example of the audacity of these traders 
is well demonstrated in the following anec- 

7 



8 The Old Navy. 

dote : A tradincT vessel on this coast showing 
American colors had aroused the suspicions 
of the commander of the British gunboat 
Contest. The English refrained from making 
a search of the trader, contenting them- 
selves with keeping close by her. Day after 
day the vessels sailed in company until the 
Yankee skipper finding that he could not 
ship his cargo of slaves — for in truth he was 
a slave-trader — challenged the British com- 
mander to a friendly sailing match to last 
twenty-four hours. The challenge was ac- 
cepted, but under cover of night, when the 
cruiser had been allowed to get far enough 
ahead to be out of sight, the trader ran in- 
shore, took on a cargo of slaves and before 
daylight was fairly started on her homeward 
voyage. In the effort to suppress the slave 
trade, the United States early in the century 
estabHshed a squadron on the west coast of 
Africa, and soon after the war of 1812 and the 
difficulty in the Mediterranean had been set- 
tled, turned its attention to this quarter. 

One of the first of our cruisers to be sent 
over was the 20-gun sloop-of-war Cyanc, the 
vessel that had been captured under such 
glorious circumstances from the British in 1S15 



On the West Coast of Africa. 9 

off this same coast of Africa, by Capt. Charles 
Stewart. There was just a touch of pride notice- 
able on the part of the government in selecting 
this cruiser for such service. When the war 
of 181 2 broke out the Encrlish were loud in 
their boasting that in six months " the con- 
temptible flag of the United States would be 
swept from the ocean," that our "arsenals 
would be reduced to a heap of ruins," and that 
*' British war-ships would have no difficulty in 
capturing the largest of the American cruisers." 
At the same time British agents assured the 
several potentates of Barbary that hereafter 
Great Britain would not permit the too for- 
ward Americans to build any war-ship heavier 
than a frigate. 

The appearance in the Mediterranean of our 
magnificent ships-of-line at Gibraltar shortly 
after the war closed caused deep humiliation 
to our cousins, and made them the butt of 
ridicule long after the war, while their cup of 
mortification was filled to overflowing by the 
appearance of their own war-ships, captured 
from them in battle, serenely sailing around 
E norland's greatest fortress with the Stars and 
Stripes at the gaff. The presence of these 
vessels led to many bitter quarrels between 



lo Vhc Old Navy. 

the Anu'rican aiul English officers which fre- 
quently resiilti'cl in duels. It was the exquisite 
pleasure of "ruhhin*;- it into the Knnrlish " that 
uiulouhtcdly h'd thi" <;overnnient to sentl the 
Cvtinr to cruise o\\ tint scene of Ium" ca[)ture 
from the I'.n^lish, especially as she would 
frequently be sailino; in company with British 
war-ships also engaged in suppressing the slave 
trade. 

Edward Trenchanl was placetl in command 
of this sloop-of-war and early in 1820 he ap- 
peared off the feverdailen coast of Africa, and 
began the monotonous and irksome search for 
slavers. Trenchard hail the gooil fortune to 
have an unsualK' able set of officers to assist 
him. nearly all of whom attained distinction 
later in life. Among them were Matthew 
Calbraith Perry, the hero of thc^ naval opera- 
tions in the Mexican Gulf ; Silas H. Stringham, 
\vlu> had the proud distinction of capturing the 
forts at 1 latteras Inlet early in the civil war ; 
William Merxine. who serveil with great ct"edit 
o\\ the coast oi California in the Mexican war, 
ami who ciMumanded the Gulf Stjuailron early 
in the civil war; lohn P, MiMUgtimery, and 
William I ludson. 

The Cvafit- had not loivj been on the station 



On the West Coast of Alnca. i i 

when she made one of the most iin[)()rtant 
captures on that coast. It occurred while the 
ship was near the mouth of i\\r. River GalHnos, 
April lo, 1820. Captain Trenchard had reason 
to beheve that he wouhl find some; slave- 
traders at this point, and with a view of takinn^ 
them by surprise he approached the river 
under cover of night and lay to until morning. 
His surmises proved to be correct for when 
day broke he discovered two brigs and five 
schooners at anchor close in shore, and almost 
within reach of his guns. The people in these 
vessels, excepting those in one of the l)rigs 
and in one of the schooners, made out the 
Cyanc almost as soon as they were seen by the 
Americans, and instantly made sail to escape, 
for the massive spars and heavy rigging of the 
cruiser, told them plainly enough that they 
were in the presence of an (Miemy. The Cyane 
was quickly in pursuit, and for a few minutes 
there was the liveliest kind of bustl(! and con- 
fusion in the efforts to spread all thc! canvas 
that would draw. 

It was no child's play that tlu; Americans 
were engaged in when they undertook to come 
up with these strangers, for, as has just been 
said, many of the slavers were heavily armed. 



12 The Old Navy. 

and should the seven of them unite in an 
attack upon the Httle Cyanc, they might suc- 
ceed in capturing or destroying her. But 
Trenchard knew only one duty, and that was 
to fight when he had an enemy in reach, and 
away went his ship in full chase. There was a 
fresh breeze blowing at the time and all the 
vessels were bowling along at a smart rate, 
heeling over under clouds of canvas on the 
port tack. Trenchard exhibited great skill 
and forethought in approaching the strangers. 
He took advantage of the formation of the 
land so that the fleeing craft could sail only in 
one direction, thereby preventing them from 
scattering, and enabling the Cyajic to come up 
with all of them. 

After the chase had lasted about an hour 
the Cyanc, at 7 a.m., tacked, having the 
schooners well in shore of her, where there 
was little chance of escaping. By this time 
the wind had fallen and Captain Trenchard 
got his launch, first cutter, and starboard quar- 
ter-boat out with the intention of carrying the 
vessels by boarding. The boats were fully 
manned and dashed at the schooners in gal- 
lant style. At S a.m. the first cutter took 
possession of the nearest vessel without op- 



' On the West Coast of Africa. 13 

position. She proved to be the American 
schooner Endyniion, commanded by Capt. 
Alexander McKim Andrew. The commander 
of this vessel had been observed to leave his 
ship and pull toward the shore, evidently with 
a view of escaping. Noticing this, Trenchard 
ordered the quarter-boat to make for the fugi- 
tive. After an exciting race the boat was 
overhauled and her people, including Mr. 
Andrew, were secured. Midshipman H. C. 
Newton was sent aboard the Endymion with 
a prize crew to take charge. 

Meantime the launch and the first cutter 
had returned to the Cyaiie as it was found that 
the breeze was sufficiently strong to enable 
the chase to hold her distance. The sloop of 
war then resumed the pursuit. At 8.30 a.m., 
the Endymion picked up the quarter-boat with 
Lieutenant Montgomery and followed the 
Cya7ie. From 8 a.m. to noon the breeze grad- 
ually died out, when Trenchard sent the first 
cutter commanded by Lieutenant Stringham, 
the launch Lieutenant Voorhees, and the second 
gig. Lieutenant Mervine, in chase, while the 
Cyane followed as closely as the failing breeze 
would allow. This time the boats succeeded 
in getting alongside the chase, and took posses- 



14 The Old Navy. 

slon of the brig Annita, commanded by Pedro 
Piishe ; the schooner Espcranza, Lewis Mum- 
ford ; the schooner Dasher, Thomas Munro ; 
the schooner Eliza, Constant Hastings ; and 
the schooner Louise, Francis Sablon. Lieu- 
tenants Perry, Stringham, Mervine, Montgom- 
ery, and Saihng-master Hudson, were promptly 
ordered to make a survey of these vessels, and 
to determine their real character. Captain 
Trenchard notes, '* Put on board the Endyviio7i 
Midshipman H. C. Newton ; the Esperanza, 
Lieutenant Stringham ; the Louise, Midship- 
man Hosack ; the Dasher, Acting Master's 
Mate, Jacob Morris; tlie Eliza, Midshipman 
Sanderson." As soon as these officers and 
their prize crews had been placed aboard their 
several charges. Captain Trenchard tacked 
and stood back for Gallinos, to attend to the 
two strangers who had not joined in the tight, 
but had remained quietly at their anchors in 
dignified composure, as if not troubled with a 
guilty conscience. These two vessels were 
found to be the Science, or Dechosa, and the 
PlattshiLrg. Captain Trenchard determined to 
investigate their character. 

Meantime the vessels first captured, were 
reported upon by the officers detailed to search 



On the West Coast of Africa. 15 

them as follows : — " In conformity with your 
order we have carefully examined the Ameri- 
can schooner Endy^nioHy commanded by Alex- 
ander McKim Andrew, and upon a close 
scrutiny we are of opinion that the sole object 
of her being in this place is the procuring of 
slaves ; indeed we have good evidence that 
she has her cargo of slaves nearly completed, 
and that they are now confined in irons at a town 
near the river called Seymoboe. She is com- 
pletely fitted, for the accommodation of slaves, 
has on board several thousand gallons of water, 
and a very large quantity of rice, the common 
food of negroes. She is owned, per register, by 
a Mr. William P. Strike of Baltimore, is under 
American colors, and is evidently acting in con- 
travention to the laws of the United States. We 
have also examined the other vessels embraced 
in your order, and find that they are all deeply 
engaged in the traffic of slaves. There is but 
one, however, of those under foreign flags that 
we can ascertain as acting in contravention to 
the above law. This is the schooner Esper- 
anza (formerly the U. S. revenue cutter Aleri) 
now under Spanish colors. She sailed last 
from Charleston, S. C, without a clearance, at 
which place she enlisted the major part of her 



1 6 The Old Navy. 

crew of American citizens. Her apparent cap- 
tain is a Spaniard by the name of Mumford, 
but her real captain and probable owner is a 
Mr. Ratcliffe, an American, and who is now on 
shore collecting his complement of negroes." 

The search of the DecJiosa and Plattsburg 
result as follows : " In compliance with your 
order we have examined the schooner Dechosa 
and Maria Gatthreust or Plattsburg detained 
by this ship on suspicion of acting in contra- 
vention to the laws of the United States. 
After a close investigation, we find that the 
Dechosa, or Science, of New York, is owned by 
E. Mallebran of New York ; sailed from that 
port in January last, and touched at Porto 
Rico, where she changed her name, and came 
immediately to this coast, landed her cargo, 
and made arrangements for receiving her slaves. 
There is little doubt of her being American 
property, and consequently we are of opinion 
that she is violating the laws of the United 
States. We can only learn that the Maria 
Gatthreust, or P/attsbitrg, of Baltimore sailed 
from Baltimore in December last where she 
shipped her crew and cargo of goods ; she 
touched at Cuba, at which place she changed 
her character, and proceeded to this coast in 



On the West Coast of Africa. 1 7 

quest of slaves. The number of her men and 
her stronp; armament induces us to beHeve that 
she is not only a vessel engaged in the traffic 
of slaves, but she is fully prepared to commit 
piratical aggressions on the flag of any nation." 
Thus it will be seen that Captain Trenchard 
by this capture secured six slavers, and possibly 
one pirate. The blow was a severe one to the 
slave trade, and did much toward checking the 
traffic on this part of the coast. The officers 
and crew of the captured vessels were sent to 
the United States in the Eliza. 

While on this coast Captain Trenchard made 
it a point to treat all the English officers with 
special courtesy, with the result that in spite 
of her name the Cyane became one of the 
most popular vessels on the station. Her 
officers frequently exchanged visits with those 
of British cruisers, and many a messroom rang 
with the praises of the Cyane and her gallant 
officers. To add to the attractive features of 
this cruiser there was a small band of musicians 
aboard who played regularly once a day for 
practice, and also on all festive occasions. It 
is probable that marine bands at that time, 
especially those in small cruisers, had not at- 
tained the high degree of excellence of the 



1 8 The Old Navy. 

modern band. The musicians of the high 
seas in those days did not occupy the import- 
ant position they hold to-day in first-class 
cruisers, and the few lone and lorn manipula- 
tors of wind and brass in the Cyane, in all 
probability would have made a poor showing in 
the highly cultiv^ated musical ear of the modern 
Jack Tar. In fact, musicians at that time were 
regarded with condescending contempt by the 
hardy sailors, as being, perhaps, good enough 
to tickle the ear with their tingling notes, or to 
twitch a few muscles of the limbs into a jigging 
mood in fair weather ; but when it came to real 
work, and an enemy was to be fought, they 
were fit only to be stowed away in a cable 
tier. But however that may be, the Jack Tar 
of that day had not the high musical mind of 
his descendants of to-day, and he undoubtedly 
tolerated the tingling brass, and the wheezy 
wood, with his usual good-natured indifference. 
The natives on the coast, however, were im- 
mensely impressed with the Cyanes band. To 
hear it was one of the events on the West 
African coast, and its fame even extended to 
the islands of the sea, as the following incident 
will show : On May 19th, the Cyanc put into 
Port Praya, after a cruise in search of slavers. 



On the West Coast of Africa. 19 

The fame of her band had preceded her, for 
•scarcely had she dropped anchor, when a mes- 
senger came aboard with the announcement, 
that : " His Excellency, the Governor General, 
solicits the pleasure of Captain Trenchard's 
company, with that of all the officers of the 
Cyane, to tea this evening, and would be highly 
gratified with having a few tunes from Captain 
Trenchard's band, which he solicits may be 
permitted to come on shore with their musical 
instruments, as the evening will be rendered 
delightful and pleasant by a full moon." This 
enchanting invitation to tea and a full moon 
was sent through one Hodges, an English- 
speaking person on the island, and the above is 
as near a literal interpretation as can be given. 
Captain Trenchard complied with the request 
and attended the Governor. After a decent 
amount of time had been allowed the American 
officers for the contemplation of the tea and 
the full moon, the natives were treated to, 
what was to them, the awe-inspiring sounds 
from the Cyanes band. With forethought, 
bred by experience, the band-master labelled 
in advance the tunes that he was about to 
render, so that the audience would have no 
difficulty in knowing what melody they were 



20 The Old Navy. 

feasting upon. So affected were the natives 
by this revelation of sound, that the Governor 
straightway, on the following Sunday, before 
the moon had again recovered her position in 
the heavens after her fullness, invited Captain 
Trenchard and Lieutenant Mervine "and any 
of the officers that can be spared from the 
ship" to dinner — and of course the band had 
to be exhibited again. 

It was while at this port that Captain Trench- 
ard showed his keen jealousy of the honor and 
dignity of the Stars and Stripes. When enter- 
ing the port he saluted the local flag, according 
to custom, with seventeen guns. The shore bat- 
teries replied with only fifteen. Captain Trench- 
ard promptly sent Lieutenant Voorhees ashore 
to demand an explanation. The Governor threw 
the blame upon the narrow shoulders of his un- 
fortunate hirelings, and making profuse apolo- 
gies, he caused the two additional guns to be 
fired — several hours after the fifteen had been 
given. The cold facts in the case seem to have 
been, that the fort ran short of powder on the 
fifteenth discharge, and the poor under-fed offi- 
cials of His Excellency's Guard had to do some 
" of the tallest kind of hustling " around the 
town to scare up the two extra charges. 



On the West Coast of Africa. 21 

During the time of his cruise on this station, 
Captain Trenchard visited all the important 
points in the vicinity, including Madeira, Cape 
de Verde, Senegal River, and Shebro. While 
at the last-named place, March 27th, the Gov- 
ernor, a Mr. McCarthy, (it is needless to add 
that he was not a native) with his suite, accom- 
panied by the Rev. Sam. Bacon, the United 
States agent for the colony, came on board the 
Cyafie and dined — the only " square meal," so 
one of the Cyanes tars declared, the distin- 
guished guests had enjoyed in some months. 
In honor of the occasion Captain Trenchard 
manned his yard and fired a salute of fifteen 
guns. 

In a letter, dated October 2, 1820, to his wife. 
Captain Trenchard said : " Since my return 
from Funchal, Madeira, I ran down toward 
Cape de Verde, and off the Senegal in the 
track of the slave vessels which visit that part of 
the coast more frequently than formerly. We 
had been cruising for twenty days, during which 
time we fell in with a number of European ves- 
sels, but not with any belonging to the United 
States, or appearing to be fitted out for the slave 
trade. On the 17th ult., I touched at Grand 
Port, Island of St. Vincent, where I found H. 



22 The Old Navy. 

B. M. sloop of war, Myrmadon, Captain Leeke^ 
who informed me that Captain Reed, of the 
United States' ship Hornet, had taken a brig at 
Buena Vista, which he had sent home as a prize. 
On my arrival here I found a letter from Cap- 
tain Wadsworth, of the United States' ship 
JoJui Adams, which I am informed has instruc- 
tions for me from the Navy Department, and 
that we are ordered to the United States. He 
also mentions that he shall cruise from the 
River Congo to Cape Mount, as the climate 
appears to affect him. I am now extremely 
anxious to obtain my instructions, and shall 
sail immediately in quest of Captain Wads- 
worth." 

Captain Trenchard had good reason for be- 
ing '' extremely anxious" to hear from the De- 
partment, for his men were wasted with fever^ 
notwithstanding his efforts to keep them in 
health. With a view of saving them as much 
as possible, he employed native Krumen at 
Sierra Leone to bring aboard such provisions 
as the ship needed. Each Kruman was paid at 
the rate of $1.25 a week, and in making out 
the pay-roll, the American Jack Tar showed his 
ever present sense of humor. The names of 
these savages were unintelligible to the Yankee 



On the West Coast of Africa. 23 

ear, but Jack was equal to the emergency and 
dubbed the dusky fellows with such imposing 
titles, as " John Thomas Wilkins Chew To- 
bacco," " Pot of Beer," " Sam Coffee," " Three 
Fathoms," " Half a Dollar," " Little Tom," 
"Jack Purser," and "Centipede" — the last 
probably being suggested by the expansive 
feet of the man so named. Sublimely uncon- 
scious of the significance of these names, the 
innocent savages, impressed by the new long- 
drawn titles, seemed immensely pleased with 
them, and not a few adopted them permanently 
as cognomens, which were handed down from 
generation to generation. 

The fever, however, continued to make sad 
inroads in the Cyanes crew, in spite of all pre- 
cautions. All white people visiting the coast 
were more or less affected. In eight months 
the English brig Snapper lost eleven officers 
and twenty men out of a crew of over fifty 
all told. On April 20th, Captain Trench- 
ard reported to the Secretary of the Navy, 
thirty-six of his men on the sick-list. It was 
in response to this alarming report that the 
Cyane was ordered home, and her place was 
taken by the Hornet. 

Returning to the United States, Captain 



24 



The Old Navy 



Trenchard was assigned to duty in the Brook- 
lyn Navy Yard, but his health had been com- 
pletely broken down, and in 1824 he died, 
having seen eighteen years of sea service, out 
of a total of twenty-four. 




CHAPTER III. 

CONFESSIONS OF A MIDSHIPMAN. 

STEPHEN DECATUR TRENCH- 
ARD, like his father, began Hfe with the 
intention of entering a far more peaceful call- 
ing than that of war. At the age of eleven, he 
attended a collegiate school at Gambier, Ohio, 
conducted by the celebrated Bishop Chase, 
with the intention of preparing for the minis- 
try. But the embryo bishop, with his dreams 
of puffed sleeves and a shepherd's crook, was 
diverted from the path of peace and good will 
toward men, to the cruel profession of war. 
He had inherited a decided liking for the sea, 
not only from his father, but from his mother, 
the daughter of the Hon. Joshua Sands, the 
father of Joshua Sands, who afterward attained 
a high rank in the navy. But aside from this 
inherited taste, young Trenchard bore one of 

25 



26 The Old Navy. 

the proudest names in American naval history, 
having been named Stephen Decatur Trench- 
ard by his father, in consideration of the latter's 
life-long friendship not only with the younger 
but with the elder Stephen Decatur. 

With such a preponderance of circumstances 
urging him to the sea, it was not strange that 
the youth abandoned all thoughts of entering 
the ministry, and began his highly creditable 
career in the navy. His training under the 
care of the venerable bishop, however, made a 
lasting impression on his mind, and all through 
life he shows in his letters and journal, a strong 
religious bent, Sunday, always, was a sacred 
day with him. In the four years he com- 
manded the Rhode Island, he held service with 
uniform regularity, much to the disgust of 
some of the wicked tars who preferred to 
lounge away the time reading cheap literature, 
or teasing the ship's cat. It has been estima- 
ted that durinof the time he commanded this 
vessel, Trenchard failed to hold service on 
Sunday only twice, and then only because the 
weather made church service out of the ques- 
tion. In fact, before the close of the war, the 
RJiodc Island became widely known as the 
" Gospel gun-boat." Trenchard never lost 



Confessions of a Midshipman. 27 

an opportunity of attending service in some 
church in the port where his ship happened to 
be, and he usually made a note of the clergy- 
man's name, and gave the text with references, 
concluding with some such comment as, " Felt 
greatly benefitted by the discourse"; "My 
heart goes out in gratitude to the Giver of all 
things, for the privilege of again attending 
service in the house of God." There are only 
a few cases where Trenchard failed to make 
these comments on the clergyman or sermon, 
from which it is to be inferred that on those 
occasions, one or both were so wretchedly in- 
ferior that the less said the better. 

One of the greatest discomforts to which 
budding naval heroes were exposed in the 
early days, was not so much the perils of the 
sea, or the desire to " throw up his commis- 
sion," as the ordeal of hazing, which the more 
experienced young gentlemen of the steerage 
inflicted upon the greenhorn with unfailing 
regularity, and with amazing ingenuity and 
variety — and there is reason to suspect that the 
custom has not been allowed to die out with 
the youthful Farraguts of to-day. Young 
Trenchard, in spite of his glorious " front 
name " and tender years, undoubtedly would 



28 The Old Navy. 

have been compelled to drink this initiatory 
cup of naval greatness to the dregs, had it not 
been for the personal interest his commander, 
Captain John Dovvnes, took in him. Instead 
of being exposed to the tender mercies of the 
young gentlemen of the steerage. Trenchard 
was taken to the Captain's cabin, where he could 
peek out from under the wing of the autocrat 
of the ship, and bid defiance to the mischief- 
loving junior officers. But even this is not 
saying that he escaped the ordeal entirely ; the 
chances being that the not overworked gentle- 
men of the steerage soon found some means of 
getting at the young chick of a middy, in spite 
of the protecting feathers of the captain. 

In those days there was no method of keep- 
ing the steerage warm in cold weather, ex- 
cept by heating a hot shot, and placing it in a 
bucket of sand. Around such makeshift stoves, 
the young officers would gather on cold winter 
nights. The bucket necessarily being small, 
and the feet of the officers taking some room 
— not that they were unduly large, but that 
they did take up some space — they naturally 
huddled very closely together. This, of course, 
brought their heads into proximity, and under 
the benii^n influence of the contact and the hot 



Confession's of a Midshipman. 29 

shot, it would not be stranj^e if their ingenuity 
did not speedily devise some way of circum- 
venting the captain of the ship, and getting at 
his protegd 

It was not until October, 1834, that Stephen 
Decatur Trenchard hatched out into a full- 
feathered midshipman, and his letter shows 
that he was afflicted with all the ailments of 
newly-acquired rank. He actually had received 
a personal letter from no less a personage than 
the great Secretary of the United States, with 
a real signature of that wonderful official, and 
the seal of that Department. The fact that 
the letter was written by some $i2-a-week- 
clerk of the department, and probably was 
never even glanced at by the Secretary, made 
no difference to the youthful middy. 

The letter-head was that of Uncle Sam's 
great Secretary, and it undoubtedly was ad- 
dressed to this identical Stephen Decatur 
Trenchard. He was sure of this point, for he 
slept with it under his pillow, and frequently 
got up at night to read it all over again, and 
to comment on every splash of ink, and every 
disfigurement that spoiled the handsome sheet 
of white paper. 

But the contents of that paper were the cap- 



:,o The OKI Navy. 

pini^ clitnax of young Trenchard's delirium of 
ecstasy. After saying that he was "hereby" 
and " duly " placed on probation for the rank of 
midshipman, the youngster was appalled with 
the thought that perhaps the eye of the great 
Secretary had been following him night and day 
with tireless watchfulness, notinghis every move 
in sleej) or wakefulness, and that only after the 
nu^st careful weighing of his qualification in a 
supposititious apothecary's scale, had the great 
Secretary of the United States decided that 
Trenchard was fit to be a candidate for mid- 
shipman. After reading this letter for the 
iwcMUy-second tinu\ the youthful Trenchard 
got control of his bobbing eyes sufficiently 
to make out these important words: ** If your 
commanding officer shall, after six months of 
actual service at sea, report favorably of your 
character, talent, and qualifications, a warrant 
will be given to you bearing the date of this 
letter. 1 enclose a description of the uniform, 
and the requisite oath ; the latter when taken 
and subscribed )'ou will transmit io the De- 
partment, with your letter of acceptance, in 
which vou will state your age and place of 
nativity." This was the section that so per- 
turbed the modest nature of young Trenchard. 



Confessions of a Midshipman. 31 

" Your letter of acceptance ! " Alirabilc die hi. 
*' Accept ! Well, I don't think not," or whatever 
was the favorite slang of the day ; and forthwith 
the youngster began to assume airs of import- 
ance, which even the terrors of steerage hazing 
could not altogether suppress. 

The description of the midshipman's uniform 
sent by the great Secretary, also, was peculiarly 
calculated to cause the stripling of a midship- 
man to feel elated. Short of stature, even for 
his age, and with a chunky little neck, it is no 
wonder that he walked about the deck with his 
head thrown back, his chin alarmingly elevated, 
and presenting an abnormally stuck-up appear- 
ance generally, because the regulations (cruelly 
unmindful of the fact that a mere boy might 
be called upon to wear the uniform) demanded 
a stiff collar with an oak-leaf and a large anchor 
embroidered upon it. The collar was not to 
be one jot or tittle less than three and a half 
inches high, amply sufficient to get several 
large anchors upon it, and it being Trenchard's 
first official uniform, there is every reason to 
believe that he insisted on good measurement 
— regardless of the fact that such a collar 
would have an unfailing tendency to saw his 
short neck off close under the ears. 



32 TIk' OKI Navy. 

Rt'turniiii; tri^in his probationary cruise in the 
Meihterranean. in the historic Consfifutioti (in 
wliii-h it nia\' saU^K' be conjectured that )ouno- 
Trenchard's conduct was the very pink of nau- 
tical excellence) he received his warrant as mid- 
shipman. JuK- o. 1S34, and was ordered to the 
rcwivinLi" ship Concord, at Portsnunith. Lieu- 
tenant Mcintosh, alterward captain in the 
Confederate service, had the distinouished 
honor of handiui^ the midshipman's warrant to 
him. llt> said : " 1 have oreat pleasure to en- 
close Nour warrant as midshipiuan. I con- 
gratulate \ ou upon being- permanently attached 
to the navy. a\\k\ as the Department has fa- 
vored \our claim, 1 trust nou will continue to 
meet tlu^ approbation ot those with whom you 
may be associated." Hy this time young- 
Trenchard's poor neck had become calloused 
suthciently to be reconciled to the enormous 
collar, so that the placing- of a star of the tirst 
magnitude on the collar, the insignia of mid- 
shipman's rank, in place of the atrocious an- 
chor did not so seriously inconvenience him or 
cause him to hold hi^ head higher than was 
necessary. 

During the war with the southern Indians 
Trenchard cruised in the West Indies, and on 



Confessions of a Midshipman. 33 

the coast (A M(;rida, under Coinniander 1 liram 
Paulding of the Battle of Lake Champlain 
fam(*. '1 rencliard took passage in tin- Levant 
from Pensacola to New York, also under 
Pauldinj^, the latter noting, " During the time 
he ri renchard) was aboard his conduct was 
unexceptionable." 




ciiArri'.R IV. 



loi I V MipsiiirMirrs. 



1)l-l"ORl' the Naval Acadotny was ostab- 
y lislu\l at Annapolis. 1S45. ^^^^^' '■"'tticors 
\vi ro lotniiollod lo pass an examination before 
a Hoard of l\\aniiners at the Naval Asylum 
and Hospital in rb.iladeljthia. I renchard with 
his usual conscientiousness had lon^ been pre- 
parin-;; tor this ordeal. Aud o\\ returning; tron\ 
his MediterraiKwn cruise in 1S40. he attended 
the school in Thiladelphia. Here he came in 
contact with man\ of the ai^ed Jack Tars from 
whon\ the aspirin^; ott'icers learned nian\- a 
lesson in seamanship and the proper reverence 
for otticers. Ueiui;- in a i^reat city — as Thila- 
delphia was then considered — these youn^- 
otVicers attendini;- the naval school found it 
necessary to dress a little niore stylishly than 
they had been accustomed :o do aboard ship. 



Jolly Midshipniitcs. 35 

'J h(ry fnMHiciiLly ;ij)i)(';in'(i in piihlic on the 
"promenade;" or al "parlies" and it was con- 
sidered ^ood taste for them to haver a full suit 
of civilian's clothes. Hut here; a dildcuity 
arose. The pay of a midshi|)man was ex- 
tremely small, and after furnishing their own 
uniforms, and meetint^ other ex[)enses incident 
to tht; service, they found difficulty in su[)ply- 
injj;- thems(dves with a civilian's outfit. 

liie inu^^enuity of th(! American naval officer, 
however, is proverhial, and it is n(;v(M* shown 
to l)ett(,'r advantage than in the face- of difficul- 
ties. J he yount^ midshipmen of the I'liiladel- 
phia Naval ScIkk)!, soon hit upon the d(;vice of 
establishing a "class wardrobe." As it was 
imj)ossible for each and ev<'ry one; of them to 
jjurchase a complete (nitfit, it was agreed upon 
by the memb(!rs of the class, that one should 
buy a coat, another a hat, another a waistcoat, 
anoth(!r a pair of trousers, anotJKtr a pair of 
shoes, and so on throughout tlur whole |)ara- 
phc;rnalia of the stylish dress of that day. When 
not in use these articles of clothing were care- 
fully hung in the class wardrobe, and in this 
way an extensive collection of pantii, shoes, 
<:oats, iiats, and vests accumulated. 

When any of the midshij>inen desired to at- 



3t^ 



VUc 0\d Xavv. 



t(Mul l\\c " proinon.uK ." or a party where civil- 
ian (.-ostunuMvas " [he thiiii^." he was privile^^ed 
to visit [\\c elass wai\holH\ aiul tit l\iniself out 
as best lie c'ouKl with the (.'oimnon jiropertv. 
CM (.•oiirsc\ the attempt was made te» keep an 
equal suppK' oi patUs. eoats. anil vests, etc., 
aiul also to have such a \arit.nv ot sizes as to 
a>.\\MnnuHlate as nian\' ilitterent ti^uivs as tlie 
class containc\l. 1 lu^ plan workevl tolerabK' 
well, althoui^h there were some cases ol misfits. 
Com{^laints were made from \ouni; otficers 
havinj; lon^^ waists .md short le^s : Init they 
mana^c\l to u;(.'t aloiii^ on the promenade, bv 
taking a cUwerl\- concealed reet in their trou- 
sers. Those who were inclined to obesity sub- 
mitted totheslender waistcoats with charminv^ly 
oood i^race, b\- enduring; tor the time they were 
on par.ide tlu^ tortures ot ti^^ht laciui^. Those 
who were tlat-chested cheerfully tilled the ^^ap 
with paddini:^. while those who had to crowd 
No. S feet into Xo. o shoes, submitted to the 
ordtwl with astonishiui^ tortitude. 

So. takiui^ it all in all. the class wardrobe was 
a i^reat success. The ot\ly emergency the in- 
v^enious younw: midshipmen could not meet, 
was when there happened to be an unusually 
heavv and simultaneous demai\d on the cloth- 



jolly IVIi(lslii|)niit(;s. 37 

inj^. This ocoiirn-d when some kiii(l-hearl«"<I 
hostess willi charming liauj^lUcrs was Lo ^iv<- a 
" formal" at which civilian costum*; was to be 
the rule of the (;v(Miiii^. TIkmi the trouble 
bejji^an ; for in s|)ile ol all tlxii- inlcs and rcinila- 
tions aI)onL bnyini-; I he various arliclcs ol civil- 
ian costume, it would happen that there would 
be more coats than waistcoats, or more boots 
than pants, which resulted in the painful alter- 
native of sonKt of the midshipmen not^oillj^to 
the joyous occasion at all, or ai>pearin^ on the 
ball-room floor in pants and waistcoat, without 
the coat, or in coat and waistcoat without the 
J)ants — eithei' of which, ol course, could not Ix; 
thoug'ht ol (or a moment, lor no mat l<r how im- 
jiiaculate was the polish on the shoedMickles, 
the deliciencies in the suit were sure to be no- 
ticed — even in l*hila(lel|)hia. So the unfortu- 
nat(t on('s had to stay in the barracks, suckini;- 
their thuiubs, waiting for their conu^ades to re- 
turn from th(^ fun, and tell how nuich they en- 
joyed tliemselv(\s. It is said that more than 
one lihlon',', coohiess between midshipmen, who 
alterward became ( Onunodores and l\ear Ad- 
mirals, result<(l h"om just such a little ihinu as 
this. 

The lov(; of dancing and attentlini; parties, 



38 'V\w OKI Navv. 

ilc-vcloiH-d .\uionv_< the Noun^or ottuxM^s iiiulor 
siu'h ».Mri'uinsl.\iu~os. stocnl tlu-in in ^ooJ iux\l 
latcMiii lite. \\ luMuncM- thoso )ouni;stors went 
on .1 eruisi^ iIun weiesure to concoct some sort 
ot .\ ilanco or cntcrtainnicnt in whatever port 
tlu^v happiMUxl. It at sim. they seized such oc- 
casions as Christmas I'.ve, Tlianksi^ivino- iiioht. 
or I'ourth ol' July, as a pretext for a jollitica- 
tion. An(\ had the dance out amoui; themselves 
o\ CM- the sonunvhat encumbered decks of the 
cruisers. In such c.ises no ill teelinv; was caused 
by the po\ert\ oi the class w.udrobe. for all 
appearevl in their usual scw dress, \ oung- 
Trenchard. in spite, of his predilection for the 
minisirw and intenseK' religious nature, be- 
came an cMuluisiastic dexotee ot lerj^sicluMw 
and his dancing, so the ladies said, was " )ust 
too lovel\- for anything." 

This. howe\er. did not detract trom his abil- 
it\' as an otVicer. tor we have it trom the execu- 
tive otticer of the /Vr/vV hin\self. (^l.ieuteiu\nt 
Junius Innle.") that Trenchard was one of the 
best passed midshipmen he had ever sailed with. 
As the executive otVicer of the warship is sup- 
posed to be in a perpetual tooth and nail tiglu 
with every object, animate or inanimate, in the 
ship, from the keelson to the masthead. fron\ 



Jolly Miclshipmitcs. 39 

the ship's i^oat to the captain himself, such a 
remark from him about one of the Junior offi- 
cers may well be regarded as a compliment, as 
the younger officers of the present navy will 
freely acknowledge. It is complimentary to 
Trenchard to note that Farragut himself was a 
most nimble and graceful dancer, all of which 
goes to show that dancing is by no means detri- 
mental to greatness ; so, on with the dance, and 
let the fight come when it will. 

On leaving the naval school at Philadelphia, 
in 1 84 1, Trenchard was ordered to t\\G Preble, 
and made a cruise in the Mediterranean. In 
those days, this was the favored station of all 
navies, and the officers and men always counted 
on having a royal good time. And of all the 
ports in that sea. Port Mahon was the one 
where more pleasure could be extracted to the 
square foot than any other port within their 
ken. In later years, with the enormous increase 
in the size and draft of war vessels. Port Mahon 
is seldom visited, but at the time the Preble 
stopped there in 1842, it was in the zenith of its 
glory. The place was a sort of rendezvous, 
where the wives of our officers lived, while their 
husbands were on the station, and where the 
leading families were always ready to welcome 



40 V\w Old N.i\ V. 

ouv \>coiAc to tluMi- honu^s. l\M-h.ips tliis is 
wh\ I'lnuh.u.l iinii\v;. •• At Wnl Mahona luiin- 
hc\ ot AinoriiMU l.ulios joiiu\l [\\c squadron." 
Ihc Mahoiuso w^mo c\spc\MalI\- toiul o( the 
AnuM-ican ottu'crs. aiul that [he sontinuau was 
tullv iivi|M\HMtt\l is attostod In [\\c (aci that a 
numluM- ot maniai^c^s took pKuw aiul some o{ 
lUcM' wonuMi an> now lixiui; with their taniihos 
in tho rnai\l States. 

I ho danot\s i^ivon at Port Malion by ilio 
Atnoriean naval ottioors InwinuManions throuv^h- 
ont tho Mt\utorianoan ports. Our (.lovorninont 
luul a roi^ular navy a^ont thori\ a\u\ an enor- 
mous storoliouso. the smooth oak tloorot which, 
as the eav^le eye ot our Ninm^:; ottieers soon dis- 
coviMed. when pohshed And waxed, made an 
admir.ihle plaee tor daneino. It did not take 
tl\em lonv; to erowd all oi I'nele Sam's truck 
into one halt" ot the Inuldinv;. thus leavino- a 
clear space admirably suited for a ball-room. 
I his place was profusely decorated with bunt- 
inv; ot all colors, w hile .i number ot' old barrel- 
hoops, inoeniously arranged with oioups of 
bayoi\ets and everv;reons. made novel, if not ex- 
pensive chandeliers.— the candles bein^ stuck 
on the points ot" the bavonets. Old lean Oachos. 
the veteran caterer of l\^rt Mahon. declared 



JoLly IVIi(l'.liij>iniL(:s. 



4r 



th.'it he. j^ot many an " inspiration " in liis art 
from tlic. lavish jn-ncrosily of tin: American 
ofificers, inifi'T lli<: indiMiic*- of wIik li Ix- pro- 
(1u(;<m1 " symplionics " " difs'iins," " crr.il ion s," 
etc., in ices and confitures tli.il were really 
CHMJitable. 

At the end of every scison our olfi(.ers usu- 
ally j.(ave a fancy-dress hall, ev.ry one of the 
prominent j)erson;ij'(', in tf)wn .itl'iidinj';. The 
fancy-dress hall j.dven at th«-, tini*- Irenchard 
was there was a m<:mr>rahle affair. People came 
from far and iif.ar to attend it, and it was as- 
tonishing'; how many of oui' warshi|)S scattered 
in different |)arts of the iViediterranr-an, found 
their stores ^dvinj; out just ahout that time, 
and dropped into Port Mahon to replenish - 
an<J incidentally he in ;'ood se.ason loallc.nd th«', 
};a.II. 

At this affair one of the midshijjinen, imj>er- 
Sf)nated the "Old P.oot of (Jiatham Stree.t, 
New Yorl:." In those days, hefore faddy 
I)ivvers had th'- nanie of the vnerahle street 
chan^j'.d to Park Row, on' (,i the, moj ef>n- 
sj^icuoiis monuments in the thoroindifar': was 
an enormous wood'-.n hoot, soni': '.]•/. feet InVh, 
whifdi stood on ih'; sid'-wall:. It h':lonj^ed U) 
an ente.rj>ri'>inj.'^ sho':-niaker, and his shop h':- 



42 The Old Navy. 

came well known amonq- naval officers as the 
" Old Boot." Fhe midshipman in question had 
ingeniously contrived a tolerably fair imitation 
of this boot out of barrel-hoops and canvas. 
Getting- into it. he managed to hold it up by 
means of straps, the sole resting on rollers, while 
a couple of slight holes, cut near the top of the 
leg, enabled him to navigate the ball-room and 
steer clear of posts and wall-flowers. He did 
not dance in costume, although he made brave 
efforts to induce some fair woman to accept 
him — the excuse being that his foot was too 
large. 

The most remarkable thing about this mid- 
shipman, however, and the topic that was most 
widely discussed, was the fact that he refused 
to allow his identity to become known. This 
became simply marvellous when refreshments 
were served. Wine flowed like water, and a 
delicious sausage, called sobensados, made ex- 
clusively by the Mahonese. and of which our 
officers were very found (^so much so that 
every IMahonese visiting the United States 
was always entreated to make the savor)' dish), 
were oft'ered unstintedly, and without price. 
The fortitude of this midshipman in refusing, 
or rather beino- unable to eat or drink, was 



Jolly Midshipmites. 43 

widely commented upon and aroused the sym- 
pathies of the other guests. Finally, some of 
the ladies and gentlemen, purely and solely 
out of the fullness of their overflowing good- 
nature, insisted on pouring wine into the peep- 
holes of the boot, and then thrusting sausages 
into the same apertures, having a vague idea 
that somehow or other the drink and food 
might reach the self-denying prisoner within, 
and he could drink the wine and munch the 
sobensados in his calm, though somewhat 
heated, retreat. There seems to have been no 
question about the wine reaching him— al- 
though probably not in a drinkable way— but 
the sausages stuffed into the peep-holes com- 
pletely cut off his line of vision. His hands 
were engaged in holding up the straps, so he 
endeavored to tear the sausages out with his 
teeth. But they were strong and resisted all 
his efforts to pull in or push out, so that he 
was compelled to heave-to under short sail and 
flounder around the ball-room very much like 
a ship without a rudder. 

Young Trenchard shortly afterward was 
transferred from the Preble to the Fairfield, 
and cruised in the Mediterranean touching at 
the various ports. He found that the fame of 



44 The Old Naxy. 

tl\o AnuM-ican navy officers as entertainers had 
reached every port, and as soon as the Fair- 
field dropped anchor, she was visited by scores 
of pleasure-lovino- i^coplo. TronchaVd was 
oreatly amazed to hnd what a large percentage 
of the population consisted of kings, queens, 
princes of the blood, dukes, and other ranks of 
high degree. \\c began to think— and his 

belief was shared by every man in the ship 

that these ports must have been populated al- 
most exclusively by aristocrats, l^he common 
sailors in the ship could ill conceal their dis- 
gust (or these guests, because their visits en- 
tailed an immense amount of ceremony, and 
extra labor in manning the rigging, wliich of 
course, fell most heavily on poor jack. 

While at one of the Italian ports, where the 
Fairfield was infested witli tiie usual swarm oi 
royalty, great excitement was caused by one 
of the visitors falling down a hatchway. One 
ot the guests. — a princess— somewhat terrihed 
b\- the hurry and bustle attendant upon the 
fall, inquired of a rugged down-east quarter- 
master what the trouble was. "Oh. nothing- 
nuich. marm. Only one of them 'ere kings 
tumbled down a hatchway and broke his neck." 
It was while Trenchard was ongaoed in the 



Jolly Midshipmites. 45 

coast-survey, that he won unusual distinction 
in receiving a sword from Queen Victoria. 
He left the Mediterranean in 1842, and in the 
winter of 1845- 1846 he was aboard the Galla- 
tin engaged in surveying the coast of Georgia 
and Florida. During the summer of 1856 he 
commanded the Vixen, and surveyed the New 
England coast. Although great changes have 
been made in the Government coast-surveys 
since Trenchard's work, yet many of the maps 
now in use are based on his surveys. He also 
invented a tide gauge, which was adopted by 
the Coast Survey Bureau. 

While off Cape Ann, August 14th of this 
year, Lieutenant Trenchard discovered a bark 
that seemed to be in a sinking condition. He 
ran down to her, and with no little risk, rescued 
the crew and sent them into Boston. The 
wreck proved to be the British bark Adieu, 
of Glasgow, bound for Boston. She had 
struck a dangerous reef near Cape Ann, and 
the weather at the time being rough, she was 
rapidly pounding to pieces, when discovered 
by Lieutenant Trenchard. A boat under the 
command of Mr. Morrison was sent aboard, 
and bore off the officers and crew who were 
completely exhausted. Had it not been for 



46 



Vhc OKI Na\ V. 



tlu* prompt assistance ottcrctl by the Americans. 
eveiN- soul wonKl have perished. The British 
Consul at Hoston. Sir luhvard Grattan. hiohly 
coinplim(.MUet.l Lieutenant Trenchard on his 
service, and reported the matter to his govern- 
ment. In the iollowiiio- year. January 21. 1S57. 
Lord clarendon wrote: " ller ALijestv's Gov- 
iM'nnuMU cannot allow the matter to jkiss with- 
cnit ottering Lieutenant I renchard and I\Ir. 
Morrison some mark of gratitude. Thevhavc. 
accordingly, caused to be prepared for each 
ot these ott'icers a sword, which 1 have the 
honor to transmit to \ou herewith, and I ven- 
ture to exjiress the hope, that the\- mav be 
permitted to accept them, more especially as 
the otVicers of the Vixen declined to make any 
claim tor salvage."' h was against the laws 
of the Ihiited States for its officers to accept 
any present or gift from a foreign state or po- 
tentate, but in the case of Lieutenant Tren- 
chard. Congress passed a special act, permitting 
him to receive the sword. 






CHAPTKR V. 

OFF FOR THE CHINA SEA. 

THAT the mass of the American people 
have always taken deep interest in the 
maintenance and development of the navy is 
shown ?jy the close watch that is kept on our 
new cruisers. The slightest incident connected 
with them is promptly telegraphed all over the 
country, while a triumph in speed or any other 
detail is regarded as a matter of national re- 
joicing. The same interest was noticeable 
when the first group of steam frigates was 
constructed. Widely differing opinions were 
freely offered concerning them and their con- 
struction, and their trial performances were 
watched v/ith minutest care. One of the first 
steam frigates was the side-wheeler PowAalan, 
and such a superb specimen of "advanced" 
naval architecture was she thought to be, that 

47 



4S The OKI X.wv. 

it \v.i<; JihmJ(.\1 to siMul \\cv to the China sta- 
tion niulor tho t,-oinin.nul ol Cajn. Cicoroe F. 
l\\irson or. " Mom^st Georo-e " as he was 
fainiliarl)- known, l.imitcnant Tronchard was 
oi\kM"(.\l tc> this \ (,'ssc^l as hcv oxccutivc otticor. 
Tho frii^ato was fitted tor an oxtcndod cruise 
in tho \\\v I'.ist .It Norfolk. Awd she had tho 
honor ot h.ivini^ tor a passont^or trotn that port 
to Madeira. ex-President rierce. wite. and suite. 
Vhc ditViouhv of i^ettiui^- new and compli- 
cated idiws oi niacliinery to work properly, 
especially when applied to naviv^ation, was 
broui;ht out cle.trK- in the attempts of the 
/\':i.'/uiuiK to sail from this port. The ship i^ot 
underway. Peceinber ;. 1S5;. aw^X <>\.oo^\ down 
the roads, receiving- a salute from the receiv- 
ing ship Pennsy/vant\i. When the Pow/uifan 
was abreast of the hospital, one of her main 
valves got out oi order, which compelled her to 
anchor and send a boat to the Xa\\- Yard. 
The ditliculty being adjusted, the frigate at 
I r, M.. Pecember toth. again got under 
way. but scarcely had she passed Old Point 
Comfort when another defect was developed 
in her machinery, making it necessary for her 
to return to ll.unpton Roads, so that it was 
not until December 11th. that she tinallv eot 



Off for the (^hina Sea. 49 

to sea. In vif.w of thcsf; accidents, it is not 
strange that so many of the ohl-time navy f)^- 
cers were opposed to the introduction of steam 
in war-ships. Such mishaps might have been 
accounted for hy the superstitious seamen as 
an ill-omen for their lon;;^ cruise, but, neverthe- 
less, the Poivhalan made the run across tlie 
Atlantic under sail and easy steam without 
serious mishap. 

On the fourth day out she fell in witli the 
American bark Olando, forty days from Pa- 
lermo, for Boston. Supplying her with pro- 
visions and sending their letters aboard, the 
Americans continued their course. After a 
delay of two hours on the 20th to " adjust the 
engines " the PowhaLan reached I'unchal on 
the 27th, where the ex-President and his family 
went ashf;rf:, after "making a very ap[jropriate 
address to the crew." The frigate left P'un- 
chal January 6, 1858, and after a pleasant 
run of twenty-one days, dropped anchor off 
Jamestown, St. Helena, where Lieutenant 
Trenchard visited the scene of Napoleon's 
captivity and death. 

It was while leaving Jamestown that the 
Po7vhatans career was nearly cut short by one 
of those accidents of the sea which are liable 



50 The Old Navy. 

to happcMi oven iiiulor the most favorable cir- 
riinislances. Havin^- rei>lcnislu\l her coal- 
lumkiMs, l\\c lri>;at(.\ on iho tveninj; ol the 
,^oth, oot iiiuler way. Sh(> hail not proceeded 
far from her anchoraL^e. when, in the uncertain 
lij^ht of fallino- nii^ht. a vessel luuler full sail 
suddenly loomed up close off the starboard 
how. c>\ idenlly intending- to cross the frigate's 
course. .Marms were promptly given, but it 
was too late ; the JVichahrh- giving a broad 
sheer struck the stranger a slanting blow, car- 
rying awa)' her bowsprit and head-booms and 
tearing the bottom out of the starboard barge. 
The vessel proved to be the Dutch bark Sfad 
Enchcdc. The Americans promptly sent boats 
to her assistance. b\^rtunately she had not 
Ihxmi injured lu^Knv the water-line, and taking 
her in low the Americans brought her into 
j^ort. where they remained until Februarv ist 
lending e\ er)- assistance and sending aboard 
two of their spare topmasts. 

Again leaving St. Helena on the evening oi 
February ist, the Poicluxtcut shaped her course 
southward. With a- view of saving her coal 
the ship was kept under sail as much as possi- 
sible. at which times the " buckets " or blades of 
the paddle-wheels were taken oti so as not to 



Off for the China Sea. 5' 

impede her progress through the water. But 
in spite of the greatest economy Lieutenant 
Trenchard, on February 9th, discovered tliat 
the ship had less than twenty-four hours of 
coal aboard, and as they were approaching 
Cape Town, where strong currents in the calm 
might carry them upon dangerous rocks, the 
ship was kept entirely under sail. 

How necessary was this precaution, was seen 
several days later when the Powhatajt had a 
narrow escape from shipwreck, being saved only 
by a slender supply of coal. The ship sailed 
down the African coast with the land in sight 
most of the way, until the i8th when she be- 
gan to feel the heavy swell around the Cape 
of Good Hope which carried her towards the 
shore. As there was not sufficient wind to 
govern the vessel Lieutenant Trenchard had 
the buckets of the paddle-wheels replaced, pre- 
paratory to getting steam up. At daybreak, 
February 19th, heavy breakers were discovered 
about a mile and a half distant. The ship had 
been drifting toward them during the night 
and had come dangerously near before they 
were discovered. " Happily we succeeded at 
4.30 A.M.," wrote Lieutenant Trenchard, "in 
getting steam up and most providentially es- 



52 The Old Navy. 

caped drifting upon the rocks toward which 
the current and heavy swell had set the ship 
so near." 

Running into Table Bay the Poivhatan ex- 
changed salutes with the town and was visited 
by the American Consul, who was saluted with 
nine guns. Three days later the ship was 
dressed in bunting and a salute of twenty-one 
euns was fired in honor of Washincrton's birth. 
During a heavy gale, February 28th, the Pow- 
Jiataii sent a boat to assist a bark that had 
been driven ashore. The boat approached as 
near as possible but the breakers proved to be 
too formidable for her to render assistance. 
The crew of the stranded vessel subsequently 
escaped to shore. On March 6th, the PoiuJiatati 
herself came near being placed in the same 
position. A sudden squall came up on the 
evening of that day and parted her bower 
chain. Fortunately the other chains held the 
ship fast. 

Leaving Cape Town March 8th, the Poiu- 
hatan had a pleasant run to Port Louis, Island 
of Mauritius. It was while at this place that 
Lieutenant Trenchard heard of the dreadful 
accident that befell the British troop ship 
Sarah Sands, an iron screw steamer from 



Off for the China Sea. 53 

Portsmouth, England, bound for Calcutta, hav- 
ing on board four hundred troops, including a 
number of women and children. When some 
days out from Port Louis, fire broke out in 
the ship and in the explosion of some powder 
part of the stern was blown out. Trenchard 
gives the following account of the accident in 
the words of a British officer who was aboard 
at the time. ''On Wednesday, the iith in- 
stant, one of the most fearful experiences of 
fire ever experienced by man broke out in the 
after-hole of the ship at 4.15 p.m. I was in 
my cabin dressing for dinner when I heard 
considerable bustle outside, and on going into 
the saloon saw smoke issue from one of the 
cabins on the port side. The fearful reality 
then flashed upon me that the ship was on fire. 
On my way to the deck I met Major Brett, 
who ordered the ammunition to be cleared 
out of the magazine, which was immediately 
attended to. The whole of the boats were 
ordered to be lowered, the ladies were put into 
the port life-boat, and they stood out from the 
ship. So sudden and rapid was this awful fire, 
that those amongst us who had their wives on 
board, had not time to take leave of them, for 
all that is dear to the soldier must be sacrificed 



54 The Old Navy. 

to the call of duty and his country's honor. I 
accordingly rushed into the magazine and 
superintended the getting up of the powder, 
which was soon cleared out of the starboard 
side. But that portion placed on the port side 
could not be got out for some time, owing to 
the density of smoke and heat. However, 
after a plentiful supply of water, volunteers 
came forward and brought up the ammunition, 
excepting one barrel which was dropped by 
one of the men and could not be recovered. 
Several of the gallant fellows who volunteered 
for this dangerous duty were brought up sense- 
less, but were immediately succeeded by others, 
until the whole was removed." 

" At 6 P.M. three rafts were constructed as 
a last resource, should we not succeed in put- 
ting out the fire. At 7 p.m. the flames were 
seen issuing from the quarter-deck ; pumps, 
buckets, and every available article were put 
into requisition and worked most gallantly by 
officers and men, who combated the flames with 
utmost coolness. Too much praise cannot be 
given to Major Brett, in command of the troops 
during this fearful disaster, for the calm and 
soldier-like demeanor he displayed under our 
trying circumstances, being wholly supported 



Off for the China Sea. 55 

by all on board. At ii p.m. a barrell of gun- 
powder together with the ship's ammunition 
exploded, blowing out the stern quarter of the 
vessel. Several persons were knocked down 
by the concussion. I was standing with a 
brother officer in command of a party working 
the pumps, and we were thrown forward for 
some distance and fell to the deck. This ex- 
plosition caused a fearful and solemn pause of 
some seconds, when our brave and heroic ad- 
jutant sang out, ' All 's right, lads, that will do 
us good, and with God's help, we will soon get 
the fire under,' and pumps and buckets were 
passed with fresh vigor." 

" At this time the ship was in flames from 
the mainmast to the stern. At midnight the 
mizzenmast was one body of flames, and in 
half an hour fell overboard with a fearful crash. 
It is due to the officers in that part of the 
crew who were on board, to state that they did 
their duty manfully, but I regret that honesty 
compels me to say that a few of the ship's com- 
pany deserted their vessel in a cowardly and 
disgraceful manner. At i a.m. on the 12th 
instant, the mainmast was observed to be on 
fire, and it was with the utmost difficulty that 
the flames were arrested. The mainyard was 



50 The Old Navy. 

set on tiro h\ burning embers, but fortunately 
was [Hit out by a party of soldiers and two sea- 
men headed b\- the chief mate going aloft with 
wet blankets. Had it gone, nothing could 
have saved us. The decks were cut away, di- 
viding the engine-room from the mainmast, 
which assisted material!}- in arresting the tire, 
as we were enabled to pour tons of water upon 
the iron bulk-head and coal-bunkers. This, to- 
gether with wet blankets, kept the tire from go- 
ing beyond the tirst compartment. At two 
o'clock the tiames were arrested and driven 
back Inch by inch, but not until the whole of 
that part of the ship was destroyed, from the 
engine-room to the stern. Our deliverance is 
one of the oreatest miracles on record. 

" To convey an idea of this awful catastro- 
phe is impossible. It may be imagined, but 
never described. At four o'clock the danger 
appeared to be principally over, and half past 
live the tire was completely out. About this 
time 1 went with a party of men to pump the 
water out of the fore part of the ship. The 
after-hole contained eig^hteen feet of water ; a 
heavy sea was running, and the ponderous in^n 
water tanks were hurled from side to side mak- 
iui^- a noise like the roar of cannon. At this 



Off for the China Sea. 57 

time the sea was rushing in at the stern, where 
it had been damaged by the explosion, when 
pumps were manned, and buckets rigged, and 
all hands went to work cheerfully to empty the 
ship, being apprehensive that we had only 
escaped the fire to be swallowed up in the 
mighty deep. No pen can describe our feel- 
ings the morning after the fire, having been 
saved from the awful death that stared us in 
the face, and as far as short-sighted mortal 
could see were confronted by an equally hor- 
rible death. 

" Having time to reflect I thought of the 
poor unfortunate women and children who had 
been exposed in an open boat all night, with 
scarcely any clothing save that of a blanket 
each, with a heavy sea on, and waves continu- 
ally passing over the boat. My suspense at 
this moment was awful, but at six o'clock I was 
gratified with a sight of the boat and saw that 
all were alive. At eleven o'clock the ladies 
came on board, and it was a joyful meeting. 
We offered our humble and sincere thanks to 
the Almighty for His wonderful mercy ex- 
tended to us, and preserving all from the awful 
death that threatened us by fire." 

From Port Louis the Powhatan had an un- 



58 The Old Xavv. 

eventful run to Acheen, Sumatra, where the 
ship was visited by a number of natives, includ- 
ing^- an intUicntial rajah, who expressed partic- 
ular interest and delight for the Powhatans 
band. Our officers made visits on shore and 
found that the natives had not forgotten the 
chastisement of the Oualla Battooans of Su- 
matra adniinistered twenty-eight years before, 
by the sailing frigate Potomac, Captain John 
Downes. The presence of the Poichatan tiy- 
ing the Stars and Stripes at her gaff, recalled 
the incident to the natives vividly, and they 
discussed the merits of the affair /;•(' and con 
at some length with the Americans. On April 
25th. while running near the town of Mallacca, 
the Poichafan lost her pilot in a most unex- 
pected manner. Lieutenant Trenchard was in 
charge of the deck, when about 5 r.M. the 
Malay pilot Don Asba threw himself into the 
sea. Lieutenant Trenchard promptly ordered 
the engines to be stopped and a boat lowered. 
By the time this was done the pilot was fully a 
mile astern. By hard rowing the boat reached 
him in time, and he ^^1ls brought back ; so that 
in twenty-tive minutes the frigate was again 
underway. Lieutenant Trenchard quaintly 
remarks : " What could have prompted the poor 



Off for the China Sea. 



59 



Malay pilot to take to the water seems a mys- 
tery?" 

The Powhatan left Singapore May 4th, 
where she had stopped for a few days, and fa- 
vored with smooth seas and clear weather, she 
sped on toward Hong Kong, skirting the coast 
of Cochin China, frequently having land in 
sight. She reached Hong Kong May 12th, 
where the San Jacinto was found flying the 
broad pennant of Captain Josiah Tattnall, who 
afterward transferred his flag to the Powhatan. 




^ Sc^^' - -''^0m^^'^■-'^W■ 



CHAPTER VI. 

ox THE SCENE OF TROUBLE. 

THE Powhatan arrived in eastern waters, 
just at the time England and France 
Avere at war with China, and were endeavorinor 
to extort a treaty at the cannon's mouth. Al- 
though present as a neutral, the American flag- 
ship was destined to play an important part in 
the war, while Flag Officer Tattnall, Lieuten- 
ant Trenchard, and some of their men, became 
involved in a heroic episode that led to inter- 
national complications. Shortly before the 
PoivJiataiis arrival the allied forces had bom- 
barded Canton, and had captured Yeh, the 
Viceroy. As showing the spirit of the Chinese 
officials toward the " foreign devils " at this 
time, the following account of Yeh's capture is 
given from Trenchard's papers. 

After the city had been stormed, an expedi- 
60 



On the' Scene of Trouble. 6i 

tion was organized, headed by Mr. Parkes, 
afterwards Sir Harry Parkes, to capture the 
Viceroy. " On Tuesday an expedition into the 
interior of the city was planned and executed. 
Mr. Parkes had heard of Yeh's whereabouts 
and was anxious to catch him. His Excel- 
lency was reported to be residing at the Ut 
Wa College in the very centre of the city ; but 
on arriving there, it was found that he had de- 
camped the previous Thursday to the Lieuten- 
ant-General's yamun in the southwest corner 
of the old city. This information was given by 
a Chinese officer, who refused to point out the 
yamun, but depending on two Chinese guides, 
whom he had engaged by promise of reward, 
Mr. Parkes made his way to the place indi- 
cated, under the protection of about one hun- 
dred blue-jackets, commanded by Commodore 
Elliott, and Captain Key. Bursting open the 
doors of the yamun, the retreating figure of 
the High Commissioner was the signal for a 
general rush after him, and, notwithstanding 
the protestations of an officious mandarin, who 
endeavored to divert the chase from the Yeh 
to himself by shouting out ' Me, Yeh ! ' the 
stout Viceroy soon found himself in the em- 
brace of Captain Key and the Commodore's 



62 The Old Navy. 

coxswain, who had outrun the others, and 
ranged up one on each side of him. 

" He was brought back and conducted to his 
seat and was soon identified by many Chinese, 
who were marched in singly, and asked by Mr. 
Parkes who the gentleman was. They all in- 
stantly fell down on their knees saying he was 
the Governor General. If he had had six 
headsmen in his train, and if we all had stood 
kidnapped before him, he could not have held 
his head more haughtily. It was a huge, sen- 
sual, flat face. The profile is nearly straight 
from the eyebrow to the chin. He wears his 
mandarin cap, his red button and his peacock's 
tail, but in other respects only the ordinary 
quilted blue tunic, and loose breeches, the 
usual winter wear of this part of China. He 
seated himself in an armchair, and some in- 
ferior mandarins, who pressed in afterward, 
stood around and made a little court for him. 
Our officers, who filled the room, passed to 
and fro upon their duties, and of course re- 
frained from staring at him. Yet no one could 
look upon that face without feeling that he is 
in the presence of an extraordinary man. There 
was a ferocity about that restless, roving eye, 
which almost made you shrink from it. It is 



On the Scene of Trouble. 6 



J 



the expression of a fierce and angry, but not 
courageous animal ; while the long nails of 
his dirty fingers are trembling against the 
table, and his eyes are ranging into every part 
of the room in search of every face. His 
pose of dignity is too palpably simulated to 
inspire respect even if you could forget his 
deeds. But no one can look upon him with 
contempt. 

" The two admirals and the generals now ar- 
rived, and after some salutations which were 
naturally more embarrassing to the captors 
than to the captured, Yeh was asked whether 
Mr. Cooper, who had been captured by the 
Chinese, was still living. Yeh burst forth into 
a loud laugh, which sounded to everyone pres- 
ent as though he were recollecting, and enjoying 
the recollections, of this poor man's sufferings. 
When he had finished his cachinnations he re- 
plied : ' I can't recollect about this man, but I 
will make inquiries to-morrow, and if he can be 
found, you shall have him.' The disgust was 
at that moment so great (for many in the room 
had known and esteemed poor Cooper) that 
if the audience could have decided the matter, 
Yeh would have been taken out and hanged. 
He was told that his answer was not courteous, 



64 The Old Navy. 

and he repHed that it was, at any rate, the only 
answer he should give." 

From this description of Yeh it will be seen 
how bitter was the feeling of the Chinese offi- 
cials against foreigners, and what a treacher- 
ous and cruel foe the Americans, English, and 
French had to deal with. The capture of 
Canton was followed by the bombardment and 
capture of the forts guarding the mouth of the 
Peiho River, which flowed through Tientsin, 
the seaport of Peking, and flowed into the 
Gulf of Pechili. Finding that it was impossi- 
ble to prevent the advance of the English and 
French upon Peking, the Imperial Commis- 
sioners, on July 12, 1S5S, signed a treaty which 
was to be sent to England for ratiflcation, and 
was to be returned to Peking on or before 
June 26, 1S59. In the words of England's 
representative. Lord Elgin, the concessions 
granted by China amounted "to a revolution, 
and involved the surrender of some of the most 
cherished principles of the traditional policy 
of the Empire. They had been extorted, 
therefore, from its fears." 

Such being the case, the opinion was freely 
expressed by American and European resi- 
dents in China, that the Chinese would resort 



On the Scene of Trouble. 65 

to treachery, if need be, to prevent the final 
ratification of these treaties, and fears were 
expressed that the British and French would 
be attacked if they attempted to reach Peking. 
The United States, also, at that time, was en- 
deavoring to obtain a treaty from China by 
peaceful diplomacy, and the American squad- 
ron on the station had been reinforced, in an- 
ticipation of trouble. 

'Wx^ Powhatan left Hong Kong May 21st, 
and early on the morning of May 26th, while 
in thick, heavy weather, she suddenly came 
upon a large steamer, south bound. It proved 
to be the United States warship Mississippi, 
Captain Nicholson, who had just left the 
Peiho, which had been seized by the Eng- 
lish and French forces. Parting company with 
the Mississippi, the Powhatan that afternoon 
anchored below Shanghai. Stopping here only 
long enough to recoal at the rate of three dol- 
lars a ton, she resumed her course for the Peiho, 
arriving there June 7th, where the United 
States warship Minnesota was found. A num- 
ber of the Minnesota s officers, including Cap- 
tain DuPont, visited the Powhatan during 
the day ; but a damper was thrown over the 
pleasant occasion by an accident that resulted 



66 The Old Navy. 

fatally. At four o'clock in the afternoon Cap- 
tain DuPont announced his intention of re- 
turning to his ship, and his gig was manned 
and placed in readiness for him. At this mo- 
ment a heavy squall of wind and rain came 
up, which induced him to postpone his depart- 
ure until it blew over. The crew of the gig 
was directed to get out and drop their boat 
astern, but before this could be done she 
was capsized, and her men — six in all — were 
thrown into the water, two of them being 
drowned. Several days afterward, while haul- 
ing out a launch, one of the davits in the Pow- 
hatan broke, precipitating the boat and its 
crew into the river, from which they were res- 
cued only with great difficulty. 

Afttr visiting the Peiho forts, the Powhatan 
touched at various ports in China and Japan, 
and on June 20th of the following year she 
again appeared in the Gulf of Pechili, having 
on board John E. Ward and suite, who repre- 
sented the United States in the pending nego- 
tiations. The fear that the Chinese would 
resort to treachery, as will be seen, proved to 
be well founded. Flag-Officer Tattnall found 
the allied French and English forces collected 
there, under the command of Admiral Hope. 



On the Scene of Trouble. 67 

The force consisted of several English and 
French cruisers which were too heavy to cross 
the outer bar, and the following gunboats : 
Nimrod, Cormorant, Lee, Opossum, Haughty, 
Forrester, Banterer, Starling, Clover, Janus, 
and Kestrel. Each of them carried two guns, 
18-pound howitzers, with the exception of the 
Nimrod and the Cormorant, which carried six 
guns each. There was also a strong detach- 
ment of marines under Colonel Lemon. The 
crews of these gunboats amounted to about 
five hundred, officers and men. 

The Peiho or North River is a short and 
rapid stream, cutting a channel through the 
alluvial plain of the Pechili. As it approaches 
the sea, it flows for the last five miles through 
a low, flat country, which is scarcely above the 
level of the river, and as the stream spreads 
out at high water it loses much of its velocity. 
A hard clay bank forms the bar on which, at 
low tide, there are only twenty-four inches of 
water, leaving broad stretches of mud-flats on 
each side. The great height of the tides on 
this coast, however, increase the depth of water 
on the bar at high tide to eleven feet, and con- 
ceal the vast tracts of mud-flats and sea-reeds 
which grow there. Less than two miles from 



68 The Old Navy. 

the bar, where the banks of the river rise ab- 
ruptly to a considerable height, the Chinese had 
constructed mud and stone forts on the site of 
the fortifications destroyed by the English and 
French the year before. 

Being erected on both sides of the river, 
they presented a formidable line of defence. 
On the left bank, looking up stream, were three 
mounds of earth, thirty feet high, well faced 
with solid masonr}-. On the top was a level 
space where three guns were mounted on three 
of the four sides. From this elevated plat 
form, the guns pointed down at the river and 
could be fought in comparative security from 
anything like a horizontal fire. Round these 
three mounds heavy mud-batteries, twenty-two 
feet high, were constructed so as to protect the 
basements of the mounds from a breaching fire. 
These mud-batteries mounted guns that were 
perfectly casemated, and were connected into 
one great work by a series of curtains, pierced 
like the bastions for casemated guns, and cov- 
ered from a flank attack by wet and dry ditches. 
This fortification was called the Grand Battery 
and was pierced for hfty guns. 

With the exception of the guns mounted on 
each of the three mounds, ever)* embrasure was 



On the Scene of Trouble. 69 

fitted with a mantlet. These mantlets were 
skilful inventions by means of which the em- 
brasures in the batteries were concealed from 
the view of an attacking party. That the slow- 
going Chinese should have adopted this im- 
proved idea — which seems to have first been 
introduced at the siege of Sebastopol, only a 
few years before — has been urged as an evi- 
dence that these forts, if not constructed by 
Russians, were built under the direction of 
Russian officers. The mantlets were stout 
wooden frames, covered with rattan, so as to 
be proof against musket balls. They were 
worked on hinges, fitted on the outer and lower 
edge of the embrasures, and were lowered 
down or triced up, as the occasion required, by 
means of lines leading upward through the 
parapet on each side of the guns. When thus 
closed it was exceedingly difficult for an enemy, 
even when the parapets were not enveloped in 
smoke, to distinguish the embrasure from the 
solid wall of the battery. 

The exact range of the position vessels must 
take in attacking the fort had been obtained 
long; before, and a gun was loaded and aimed 
before the mantlet was lowered, thus revealing 
it to the enemy. Wh'^n all was ready the mant- 



70 The Old Navy. 

let was dropped in a twinkling', the gun run 
out, the shot hred, and the recoil sent the gun 
back again ; and the same action drew up the 
mantlet. This could be done so quickly that 
it was almost impossible for an enemy to tell 
out of which embrasure the gun had been tired. 
Above and below the Grand Battery were two 
waspish-looking flanking forts, each of which 
had a mound similar to the Grand Battery and 
was protected by bastions. They had three 
tiers of guns and were connected with the main 
fortifications by earthworks. On the right 
hand, back of the river, stood another series 
of earthworks constructed on the same general 
plan of the Grand Battery, mounting about 
forty guns. All these elaborate preparations 
for the defence of the river, of course, were un- 
known at that time to the English and French. 
As an additional defence, the Chinese had 
constructed with extraordinary skill three lines 
of barricades across the river. The first one 
consisted of a single row of iron stakes, each 
with a tripod base nine inches in circumfer- 
ence. The top of each of these stakes was 
pointed, besides which there was a sharp spur 
which could penetrate the hull of a vessel as- 
cending the river. These stakes were driven 



On the Scene of Trouble. 71 

so that their tops were covered at high water. 
This barrier was about 550 yards from the 
centre of the Grand Battery, and about 900 
yards from the fort opposite. About 450 
yards above this was another barrier, which 
consisted of a rope eight inches in diameter, 
stretched across the river, and two heavy chain 
cables. They were twelve feet apart and were 
hove in as tight as possible. These cables 
were supported at a distance of every thirty 
feet by heavy spars, each one of which was 
carefully moored up and down stream. The 
third barrier, and perhaps the most formidable 
one of all, consisted of two massive rafts of 
rough timber, lashed and cross-lashed in all 
possible directions with ropes and chains. 
They were anchored within a few feet of each 
other, so that a vessel in passing would have 
to describe the figure of the letter S. The 
opening between the rafts was still further pro- 
tected by a circular line of iron sticks which 
were covered at high water. 

The allied squadrons arrived off the mouth 
of the Peiho River on the night of June 20, 1 859. 
The sound of escaping steam from the steam- 
ers, and the clattering noise of chain cables 
running through the hawse holes in the stillness 



/- 



The Old Navv. 



of tlic hour, aroused the Chinese troni tlioir 
sleep, Init lhe> did not seem to be in the 
least disturbed b\- tlie arrival oi such a laroo 
naval force of '" red-headed Barbarians." When 
morning;- broke they gazed upon the vessels 
\y\t\\ stolid indifterence. and then went about 
their usual work. Xothino- about the place 
indicated that unusual preparations for oppos- 
ing- the entrance of a naval force in the river 
had been made. Obstructions were across the 
river, it is true, but these, the officials declared, 
were onl)- to kcx^p out r(.4iels and piratt^s. who 
recently had been giving the Government 
much trouble. All was as quiet and sleepy as 
the most enthusiastic admirers of Chinese river 
scenery could desire. 

I'roni the decks of the ships the course of 
the Peiho River could be traced over the tlat 
country far into the interior by the masts and 
sails of junks that moved sluggishly up and 
down the stream. The straggling village of 
Faku, glimpses oi which could be had behind 
the forts, seemed to be pursuing its usual lazy, 
monotonous existence- as a tishing hamlet. 
The tower of Little Temple, fron^ which the 
Go\ernor-General of Pechili had tied the \ear 
before, with its succession of quaint, peaked 



On the' Scene of TrouVjle. iz 

roofs, was seen just beyond the fort on the left. 
For the first time in the experience of foreic^n- 
ers, a Chinese mihtary post was without the 
usual lavish display of flags and tents denoting 
the presence of troops. A yellow, triangular 
flag floated from each of the two mounds, and a 
few ofifiicials of low rank were observed moving 
around the batteries as unconcernedly as if the 
" foreign devils " were thousands of miles away, 
and small bodies of poorly-armed and shabbily 
dressed militia paraded through the works. 
I^'ew of the guns in tlu^ embrasui'es, owing to 
the deceitful appearance of the mantlets, could 
be seen. 

The first step taken by the British Admiral, 
on arriving off the bar, was to send a boat 
ashore to communicate with the commander of 
the forts, and to request that the barriers be 
removed, so that the gunboats might proceed 
up the river. The officer landed with this mes- 
sage but was not allowed to go further than 
the beach, where he was met by an official of 
low rank who refused to remove the obstruc- 
tions, and said that the British should meet 
the proj^er representatives of the Emperor at 
another mouth of the Peiho River, t(;n miles 
to the north. The official concluded by saying 



74 The Old Navy. 

that he acted entirely upon his own responsi- 
bilit)', and that there were no hioher ot'ticers 
at hand. So far there was nothing- to excite 
Admiral Hope's suspicion of treachery, for 
everythino- had been conducted in an entirely 
good-natured way on the part of the Chinese, 
and the best of feelino- was shown. Exasper- 
ated at being- balked in his friendly visit to 
the capital. Admiral Hope wTote the authori- 
ties saying, that if the obstructions were not 
removed by the evening of June 24th, he would 
proceed to remove tlicm himself. 

While matters were in this condition. Mr. 
Ward, after consultation with Flag-Ofticer 
Tattnall, decided to remove up the river in the 
Ton'- J fa//, as if ignorant of the refusal on the 
part of the Chinese to allows the English and 
French to pass. The Tocy-J]\j}i was a small 
merchant steamer which had been chartered 
for the occasion by the Americans, as the 
Potvliataii was too laro^e a vessel to navigate 
the shallow waters in tliose parts. Mr. Ward 
determined tliat if the forts fired across the bow 
of his vessel he would anchor and communicate, 
but if they fired into his vessel, which was un- 
armed, he would retire. At 11 a.m., June 24th, 
the Tlvv-Zr^?;/ steamed thouLili the British and 



On the Scene of Trouble. 75 

French squadrons without communicating^ with 
them, and pushed up towards the barriers. 

At that time the forts seemed to be entirely 
deserted, not a man being seen nor a gun in 
an embrasure, and although there were many 
flagstaffs not a Hag was visible. When the 
Toey-Waii had approached within three hun- 
dred yards of the first barrier, she suddenly 
received a severe blow which made her tremble 
from stem to stern. It was soon after ascer- 
tained that she had run on the treacherous 
steep bank of the river that was visible at 
low tide, but was entirely concealed by the 
murky waters of the stream at high water. 
Every effort to back her off was unavail- 
ing, while the fast-falling tide made her posi- 
tion extremely critical, for not only was she 
entirely at the mercy of the batteries, but the 
falling water was leaving her partially on the 
edge of the bank, and when the tide had en- 
tirely receded, the probability was that she 
would tumble off the bank and fall into the 
water upside-down. 

Observing the difficulty the American 
steamer was in. Admiral Hope sent the Plover 
to her aid, with a message that if Mr. Ward de- 
sired, he could hoist the American Hag over 



76 The Old Navy. 

her. The Plover attempted to tow the Toey- 
JVanof(, but the cable parted. Upon this the 
Admiral dispatched his flag-lieutenant with an- 
other gunboat, but even their combined efforts 
were unavailing. While the Toey-lVa?i was in 
this critical position. Captain Tattnall sent 
Lieutenant Trenchard and the interpreters to 
the nearest fort to inform the officer in com- 
mand that the American Minister was on board 
the stranded steamer. In his journal, Lieu- 
tenant Trenchard says : *' I was dispatched in 
the barge by Flag-Officer Tattnall as his rep- 
resentative, accompanied by Dr. Williams, and 
the Rev. Messrs. Martin and Atchinson, our 
interpreters, the former as the representative 
of Mr. Ward, to communicate with the officer 
in command of the fort. We passed inside of 
the lines of the stakes and landed at the ex- 
tremity of a mud jetty, running out of the cen- 
tre bastion on the left, and below the lower 
barrier. We were received by a guard of 
twenty men armed with spears, double swords, 
and long knives. They were rather ragged in 
appearance. Mr. Martin and myself held an 
interview with the officer. It was in substance 
that we had come here for the purpose of go- 
ing up the Peiho River to Peking with our 



On the Scene of Trouble. ']'] 

minister, who had been directed to see the 
Emperor, and to dehver to him in person a 
letter from the President of the United States, 
and to ratify the treaty. The commissioners 
at Shanghai said there would be difificulty in 
passing up the river to Peking, and that instead 
of finding it clear we would meet obstructions 
placed in the channel. We requested that 
these obstructions be removed, so that we 
could pass up the river. The mandarin, or 
head man of the party, stated that the barriers 
could not be removed ; that they had been 
placed there to protect the villages against the 
rebels and pirates, and that any attempt made 
to remove them would be resisted, and the forts 
would open fire." Lieutenant Trenchard re- 
turned with this answer. The Toey- Wan was 
finally released from her perilous position, and 
she moved down the river and took her station 
near the outer bar. 




CHAPTER VII. 



A 



BATTLE OF THE PEIIIO FORTS. 

HEAVY rain and a gale of wind pre- 
vented much from being" done on June 
2 2d, so that it was not until the night of the 23d 
that all the British gunboats were taken across 
the bar. Early on the morning of June 24, seven 
hundred British marines from Canton, under 
Colonel Lemon, were placed on board a number 
of junks and anchored near the bar to be held 
as a reserve force and a storming party, for 
in spite of the pacific appearance of the forts 
Admiral Hope was proceeding with all the 
caution of an experienced officer. Some un- 
easiness had been felt among the British by 
rumors that Russians were hovering near the 
forts, and probably would assist the Chinese if 
an attack was made. It was well known that 
a number of high Russian officials were in 

78 



Battle of the Peiho Forts. 79 

Peking at that time, but whether any consider- 
able number of Russian troops were clandes- 
tinely employed by the Chinese, was long an 
open question in the minds of the British pub- 
lic. Among the British seamen and marines, 
however, the prospects of a brush with the 
Chinese was anticipated with delight, which 
even the ominous transforming of the Ciro- 
fttandel and the Nosogary, the French gun- 
boats into hospital ships and anchored within 
convenient reach, did not allay. 

On the night of June 24th, Admiral Hope 
sent three boats up the river under the com- 
mand of Captain Willes of the Chesapeake for 
the purpose of removing the barriers. The 
boats, passed between the iron stakes constitut- 
ing the first barrier, where Captain Willes left 
two of the boats to attach explosives for the 
purpose of blowing up the barrier, while he, in 
a third boat, pushed on to the third barrier. 
Here the Chinese sentinels could be seen walk- 
ing up and down, and although the boats must 
have been seen by the people in the forts on 
both banks of the river, no attempt was 
made to disturb them. Scrambling over the 
rafts. Captain Willes was satisfied that it was 
impossible for the gunboats to remove the bar- 



8o The Old Navy. 

rier. Returning- to the second harrier he ex- 
ploded his cylinders and made a hreach wide 
enough for a vessel to pass through. At this 
moment one or two guns from tlie fort were 
fired giving him warning to desist, but no 
general alarm on shore was noticed, and the for- 
midable character of the batteries was not re- 
vealed. Before morning, however, as the 
British discovered the next day, the Chinese 
had repaired the breach made in the barrier. 

At daylight on the following morning, June 
25th. the same deceitful calm was niaintained 
in and around the fort. At half-past three in 
the morning, the boatswains' whistles in the 
allied squadron began their merry chirping and 
sent all hands to breakfast, and by four o'clock 
the gunboats began to take up their prescribed 
positions. At this time the tiood-tide was run- 
ning strong, flowing in a muddy, turbid stream, 
up a tortuous gutter. Gradually that gutter 
became filled, and the waters, rufHed by a fresh 
breeze that blew the foul smell toward the 
forts, began to rise to the level of the mud- 
banks and finally washed over them and the 
reed-covered mud-tlats. and began to lap 
against the foundations of the massive forts. 
The Hritish began operations thus early, hop- 



Battle of the Pciho Forts. 8i 

ing that by the time the flood-tide had ceased 
running, every vessel w^ould be in position. 
But considerable delay was caused by the nar- 
rowness of the channel, and the strength of the 
breeze, which occasioned considerable confu- 
sion in the manoeuvres ; so that it was not until 
11.30 A.M., or at high water, that the vessels 
were in position. Even then there was some 
delay caused by the grounding of the Banterer 
and the Starling. At two o'clock, when the 
ebb-tide was running strong, Admiral Hope, 
with his flag flying from the Plover, signalled 
the Opossum to remove an iron pile to which 
she had made fast. In thirty minutes the Opos- 
sum had wrenched the iron stake from its bed, 
and the gunboats, running through the breach, 
passed up to the second barrier where they 
were under the guns of the forts at point-blank 
range. 

This was a moment of intense excitement. 
Every eye was fixed upon the batteries, but the 
same imperturbable calm that had been main- 
tained the previous day was unbroken. Just as 
the Plover was attempting to break through 
the second barrier, however, a single gun was 
fired from the fort and a moment later all the 
mantlets were dropped, and forty heavy pieces 



82 The Old Navy. 

of artillery opened upon the little craft. At 
that instant Admiral Hope gave the signal, 
" Engage the enemy as closely as possible," 
and the other gunboats hastened to the sup- 
port of their gallant leader. The enemy's guns 
had been so well trained on the space between 
the first and second barriers that almost every 
shot fired at the Plover and the Opossum took 
effect. 

It seemed to be the object of the Chinese to 
annihilate the flagship, and within twenty 
minutes the Plover and the Opcssiivi had so 
many killed and wounded that their batteries 
were almost silenced. Lieutenant-Comman- 
der Rason, of the Plover, was cut in two by 
a round shot. Captain M'Kenna, of the Ad- 
miral's staff, was one of the first to be killed, 
while the Admiral himself was seriously injured 
in the thigh. Whether or not the gunners of 
the fort were Chinese or Russian renegades, 
deserters and convicts swept up on the Sibe- 
rian frontier, they fought with marvellous skill, 
and showed that they had been trained in the 
most advanced ideas of European artillery. 
For the first time in Chinese warfare the guns 
were so arranged as to concentrate their fire on 
any given point within the barriers. Further- 



Battle of the Peiho Forts. 83 

more, there were reserved suppHes of guns and 
carriages. This was shown by the ease with 
which a dismounted gun was again firing away 
from a certain embrasure, for the EngHsh 
gun-boats, ahhough firing at a disadvantage, 
planted their shot in the embrasures with con- 
siderable skill. 

It was at this critical period of the fight that 
the Americans rendered assistance to the sorely 
tried British, which, so long as the British na- 
tion remembers, the affair of the Peiho Fort 
will not be forgotten. Captain Tattnall, and 
the other American officers in the Toey- Wan, 
had been witnessing the treacherous attack 
upon the allied squadron with feelings of anger 
and mortification. Finally, observing the des- 
perate condition of the British Admiral, Tatt- 
nall exclaimed : " Blood is thicker than water ! " 
" And he 'd be damned if he 'd stand by and see 
white men butchered before his eyes," wrote 
Trenchard in his journal. " No, sir," he said 
to Trenchard, " Old Tattnall isn't that kind, 
sir. This is the cause of humanity. Is that 
boat ready ? Tell the men there is no need of 
side arms." Knowing that it was impossible 
for the British reserves to pull against the swift 
ebb-tide to the relief of their sorely -tried 



84 The Ok\ Navy. 

brc^lmMi he s(mU an ofticcM- to Colonel Lemon, 
offcrino- tlie services of the 7oey-lVafi in tow- 
ino" the Hritish IhkUs to the scene of acticMi. 

Just at this moment a hoat was seen to 
emero-o out c^f the smoke oi battle and pull 
with desperate iMier^y toward the Americans. 
When she came alongside, a midshipman 
quickly mounted the man ropes, and [iroceed- 
ino- aft delivered a despatch to I'dao-C^fiicer 
Tattnall. The pcMusal oi this note excited him 
at oncc\ and he straii;htway got into his barq;e 
with Lieutenant Trenchard to pay an " ofTicial 
visit." as he expressed it, to the l^ritish Admiral. 
Awa\- went the baroe speedino^ over the bright 
c>lancino waters, followed h\ the English boat, 
both craft being- soon lost in the dense smoke 
of battle. As Tattnall was passing a gunboat 
that was badly cut tip, a shot plowed through 
the American colors, and left them a mere col- 
lection oi long streamers. The Hritish crews 
cheered as they saw the boat pass. Scarcely 
had the cheers been given, before another shot 
passed through the barge's quarter, instantly 
killing the coxswain. Hart, and wounding 
Trenchard, besides making a complete wreck of 
the boat. It was only with the greatest diffi- 
culty that the barge could be kept alloat long 



Battle of the Pciho Forts. 85 

(enough to reach the side of the British flai^ship. 
On the quarter-deck Tattnall found the British 
Admiral sitting on a camp-stool desperately 
wounded, but still directing the fight. For- 
ward, there was an 8-inch gun. with only 
one or two men near it, the rest of the crew 
having been killed or wounded and the reserves 
exhausted. 

Tattnall exchanged a few messages of condo- 
lence with the Admiral,. saying to his own boat 
crew : " Meantime, my good fellows, you might 
man that gun forward till the boat is ready, 
just as you would on your own shi[)." The 
Yankee tars went to the gun and found the 
crew nearly all killed or disabled. A bright 
little boy, twelve or thirteen years old, offered 
to supply them with powder. Laying-to, they 
loaded, and for nearly an hour fired the gun 
and declared that every shot hit the mark. 
They were then relieved by a boat-load of men 
from another ship, and walking aft they were 
met by Lieutenant Trenchard. Their powder- 
begrimed visages, and their heated appearance 
showed plainly enough what kind of work they 
had been engaged in. Assuming a severe 
tone, and realizing the neutral position the 
United States had taken in the matter. Lieu- 



86 The Old Navy. 

tenant Trenchard asked them what they had 
been doing ? One of the brawny tars coolly 
replied : " Oh, nothing, sir, excepting lending a 
friendly hand to them fellows forward." Se- 
curing another boat the Americans returned 
to the Toey-Wan. 

By this time the British were sorely pressed 
indeed, and they turned longing eyes toward 
their reserve force of six hundred men, which 
they had no means of bringing to battle. The 
Toey-JVa;i was the only vessel that could 
possibly bring the junks up against the rapid 
current. Realizing the situation, Tattnall took 
the junks in tow, and brought them into action. 
Strictly speaking, this was a serious breach of 
the neutrality of the United States ; but Tatt- 
nall did not stop to consider this, and knowing 
that the British reserves could not be brought 
to the assistance of their sorely-pressed admiral 
unless the Toej'-JVa?i took them in tow, he 
started boldly up the river with six hundred 
British reserves, where they were soon assist- 
ing their comrades. 

A landing party of about six hundred men 
was placed ashore and stormed the Chinese 
forts. The British rushed madly down the 
ditch filled with water and made almost impass- 



I 



Battle' of the Peiho Forts. ^7 

able by sharp stakes. They threw their lad- 
ders across the ditch and the sailors continued 
to advance in spite of the terrific fire. Some 
of them were beginning to climb the breast- 
works, when suddenly there arose the cry, 
" Russians ! " The English supposed they 
had been fighting the Chinese, but now they 
believed the fortifications were manned by 
Russians. This thoroughly discouraged the 
British tars and in spite of the efforts of their 
officers they retreated to the beach. Here the 
seamen piled into their boats. All this time 
they were exposed to a terrific fire from the 
fort. There were not enough boats to take 
the men off. It was a terrible moment, and 
here again Tattnall earned the lasting gratitude 
of the English. He got his light draft tender 
Toey-Wan close into the shore, and took the 
fugitives aboard, and in this way many lives 
were saved. In this disastrous affair the allied 
forces, numbering one thousand one hundred, 
had eighty-nine killed and three hundred and 
forty-five wounded. 

There is a sequel to this heroic episode 
which is best told in the words of Rear-Admiral 
Trenchard himself. When the Powhatan first 
arrived in the Chinese waters, the year before, 



88 The Old Navy. 

Enorland was in the midst of many difficuhies 
in the Far East and the coast of China fairly 
swarmed with her cruisers. On reachinof 
Hong Kong in the summer of 1858 the Pow- 
hataiis crew were allowed a twenty-four hours' 
leave of absence after their long voyage. 
" Before the men went ashore," said Trenchard 
" they learned that it was best to keep elbow 
touching elbow, and that it was sometimes a 
stern necessity to fight. Each man was sup- 
plied with a sufficient amount of current coin 
to enable him to have a good time, and away 
they went as full of the spirit of fun and frolic 
as little children. Now, it happened that half 
the crew of the British frigate Hig-Jiflyer also 
was ashore on leave of absence, and during 
the afternoon, when the American boys were 
feeling particularly good and had chartered, 
through the agency of Bumboat Sam, all the 
sedan chairs that could be hunted up, and 
formed a procession in Queen Street, that these 
bold Britains happened along as the sedan 
chairs were startino- off with two Yankee tars 
in each. 

" The novelty of the thing immediately took 
the eye of Johnnie Bull, and after the chairs 
had started, and trailed out nearly a quarter of 



Battle 'of the Peiho Forts. 89 

a mile with the Chinese bearers gruntinjr their 
usual ditty and the Yankees singing * The 
Star Spangled Banner' and other patriotic 
songs, the Englishmen could not refrain from 
complimenting the dash and originality of 
their cousins. Perhaps on this occasion there 
would have been no collision had not one of 
the men in the chairs shouted out to a group 

of English sailors, ' Hey ! You d d Lemon 

Squeezers, parbuckle yourselves out of our 
way and trice up the slack of your lip, d'ye 
hear.' That foolish sentence acted like a fire- 
brand in a powder magazine, and like magic 
the sedan chair was capsized and its cargo 
spilled out. A rush was made by the main 
body of the Highflyers, while the Chinamen 
abandoned their sedans and fled. The Yankees 
rallied around the unlucky tar, whose foolish 
remark in the enemy's camp had brought down 
the Philistines. 

" At it they went, and a regular knock-down 
affair existed for fifteen minutes. For a while 
the Americans made a good show, but half a 
dozen boat crews reinforced the English, and 
the Yankees were forced to retire to a tea 
garden for reorganization and to repair dam- 
ages. But they soon again took the street 



90 The Old Navy. 

and made war in regular orthodox style on 
the Highflyers. Possibly, the fact that a Brit- 
ish war vessel of this name having been cap- 
tured by the United States 44-gun frigate 
President in the war of 1S12, had something 
to do with the unusual desire of the men of 
this particular ship to fight. However this 
may be, the affair lasted most of the afternoon. 
Late in the day a strong detachment of Yan- 
kees drove in the Highflyer's pickets and 
brought about another recrular eno;ao;ement. 
The police were powerless to interfere and a 
company of British soldiers was ordered out 
of the garrison to assist in restoring order. 

'• The sight of the redcoats acted like oil on 
the fire. However little American and Eng- 
lish sailors loved each other, they all entertained 
a most cordial dislike for anything in the shape 
of a marine or a soldier, and the minute the 
cry was passed that the redcoats were coming, 
the Yankee and English tars, in a twinkling, 
seemed to forget that they were fighting one 
another and joined forces against the soldiers, 
who are the common enemies of every true 
seaman. At first the redcoats were severely 
handled, and at last were compelled to load 
with shot. Seeinor that it was useless to fio^ht 



Battle of the Peiho Forts. 91 

against leaden balls, the American and Eng- 
lish seamen beat a precipitate retreat around 
the corner, and retiring to a distant part of the 
town fought out their own little difficulty to 
their hearts' content. 

" Next morninor the crew of the Powhatan 
returned on board, and they were a sight to 
behold. Almost every man of them had his 
nose cock-billed to starboard, and sprinkled in 
here and there were rickety-looking eyes that 
would have done credit even to the famous 
Donnybrook Fair. It took two or three days 
for the men to recover from the soreness, and 
for some months after that it got to be the 
proper thing to thrash an English sailor on 
sight. 

" The character of the feud was growing 
worse and worse every day, so that it became 
really necessary for the Powhatan to change 
her port. After remaining in Hong Kong 
some weeks the Pozvhatan went to Penang, 
and nothing more was seen of the Highflyer 
until some months later, when a squadron of 
Engrlish liorht-drauo^ht vessels was collected at 
the mouth of the Peiho River to escort the 
British Ambassador, who was on his way to 
Peking. The Highflyer was the flagship of 



92 The Old Navy. 

this squadron. What happened when the 
Enorhsh attacked the Chinese forts, the heroic 
visit of Captain Tattnall to Admiral Hope 
and the towing of the British reserve into 
action by the Tocy-ivan has just been narrated. 
But nothing- more was heard of this until next 
winter when the Pow/iahi?i ran down to Hong 
Konof. As she steamed to her anchorasfe, she 
passed the British flagship HigJiflyer. As 
soon as the Poivhataii was recognized, the 
British band struck up ' Should auld acquaint- 
ance be forgot ' and, * Columbia, the Gem of 
the Ocean.' Then the HigJiJlycr ran u[) the 
American Hag and the Pozvhataii hoisted the 
British Hag, and salutes were mutually fired. 
Then the other British vessels in the harbor 
hoisted the Stars and Stripes and saluted. 
Soon after the Russian frigate saluted our 
flag, and the French warsliips also. The Eng- 
lish and American sailors made excursions on 
shore together, and the former always stood 
ready to help an American out of a difficult)-. 

" On Christmas following, the American and 
English sailors made up a purse of eight hun- 
dred dollars, and sent for Bumboat Sam to have 
him cater to them in a way that would be an ever- 
lasting honor to his vocation. Sam promised to 



Battle of the I'ciho Forts. 93 

furnish evcrythin^r in the air, the ocean, and on 
the earth. He was true to his word, and two 
long tables were spread with fowl, fish, flesh, 
and fruits. Afternoon brought the guests 
from the English ship and the viands were 
flanked by the attacking party headed by the 
officerfi. Our executive officer made a little 
speech. Speeches, toasts, cold water, jest, and 
story had place in the order of the hour, and 
no one for a moment would have thought that 
the two crews, less than a year before, had 
been engaged in pounding each other's faces 
after the most approved style of prize-fighters. 
" Next summer, when we were down at Pe- 
nang, the Powhatan s crew got leave of absence 
for forty-eight hours. The Highflyer was there 
also. The two crews hobnobbed famously, and 
got up an excursion to a noted resort some six 
miles distant. The sailors hired coaches and 
saddle-horses, took along baskets of pop-beer, 
stout, claret, oranges, sardines, hams, herrings, 
etc. Every man carried a ' Penang lawyer.' 
The men started along the shell road, and in 
due time reached their destination, and every- 
thing was joyous during the entire leave of 
absence." 




CHAPTER VIII. 



A LAND CRUISE. 



A^ rillLK England and Erance were en- 
V V deavorino- to extort a treaty from 
China at the cannon's mouth, the United 
States, like the fox that secured the bone for 
which the bull-do^- and the mastiff were fioht- 
ing, quietly slipped in, and conducted a satis- 
factory negotiation with China months before 
England and France had attained their object. 
In the words of an English writer, " The calcu- 
lating, long-backed diplomatists of the Ihiited 
States sent their admiral ixnd envoy to reap 
the advantages for which the Englishmen 
were fighting." A day or two after the battle, 
the Chinese ofificials -sent aboard the PtKc- 
hatan twenty sheep, twenty hogs, one hundred 
and forty chickens, sixty ducks, two hundred 
and fifty pounds of vegetables, two hundred 

94 



A Land Cruise. 95 

and fifty pounds of fruit, two thousand five 
hundred pounds of flour, and two thousand 
pounds of rice. 

In receiving- these most acceptable gifts, the 
Americans did not forget their English and 
French friends, many of whom had been des- 
perately wounded, and had been without food 
thirty-six hours. Unknown to the Chinese, 
the Americans promptly forwarded tliese pro- 
visions to the English and French scjuadron. 
It was in reference to this that an " eye-wit- 
ness " wrote to the London Times : " Many of 
our men slept in the American tender {Toey- 
Wan) on the night of the fight. Cigars, 
coffee, brandy — everything a man could want 
— were placed before them. The American 
crew forgot themselves, and thought only of 
the I^ritish. A few days after the fight, a 
Chinese junk with a flag of truce brought fresh 
provisions to the Powhatan. These were im- 
mediately sent to our wounded. The bond of 
American brotherhood was deeply cemented 
in our trial at the Peiho. I believe there was 
not a man in the fleet who did not feel it grow- 
ing up within him, and I am sure there are 
thousands, if I may not say millions, on both 
sides of the Atlantic, who will join me in the 



96 The Old Navy. 

fervent wish that that feehng of brotherhood 
may take deeper and deeper root in both 
lands." 

The result of the battle of the Peiho, of 
course, brought to a close all diplomatic rela- 
tions between the English and French and 
the Chinese government, and the allied naval 
forces retired in order to make preparations 
for a more determined attack upon the forts. 
The Powkata7i, however, remained on the 
scene of action, and a few days later, July 
5th, two mandarins came aboard with a letter 
for Mr. Ward, from Hang Fu, the Governor- 
General, requesting an interview ; and on the 
8th, Mr. Ward and his suite landed at the 
town of Pei-Tang, twelve miles to the north 
of the Peiho, and proceeded to the audience 
chamber, where they were received in the most 
friendly manner. The Governor-General as- 
sured Mr. Ward that he would be able to pro- 
ceed to Peking in a short time, and meantime 
he must consider himself a guest. On the 
morning of the nth, two Chinese officials 
called on Mr. Ward, and informed him that 
on the 20th he could start for Pekine. 

Having completed all his preparations, Mr. 
Ward left the Pohawta^i on the afternoon of 



A Land Cruise. 97 

July 19th, having with him W. W. Ward as 
Secretary of Legation ; Dr. John L. Fox of 
the Mississippi ; Flag-Lieutenant Trenchard ; 
Purser B. F. Gallagher ; Chief Engineer Wil- 
liam H. Shock ; Lieutenant A. W. Haber- 
scham ; Captain A. S. Taylor, of the Marine 
Corps ; Assistant Surgeon, John W. Sandford ; 
Chaplain Henry Wood ; Commodore's Secre- 
tary John Allmand — all of the Powhatan. S. 
W. Williams, W. P. Martin, and the Rev. 
Mr. Atchinson, acted as interpreters, besides 
which there were two attaches, three marines, 
and a valet, besides ten chinese waiters, cooks, 
and servants. Considerable delay in starting 
was caused by the Chinese insisting on under- 
standing the exact rank of each of the Ameri- 
cans, which they declared must be printed on 
flags, and mounted on the cart assigned to 
each of them. As the Chinese vocabulary 
did not contain names that corresponded 
exactly with European ideas of rank, the diffi- 
culty was finally settled in this way. The 
captains, lieutenants, etc., were easily disposed 
of. The doctor was known as the Chief medi- 
cine-man, the purser as " Chief of the Silver 
Treasure" the chaplain as the "Josh-man"; 
the chief engineer, as " Chief of Fire Kings." 



98 The Old Navy. 

These ranks were duly inscribed on small 
yellow flags attached to a staff, and in the 
order of precedence they left Pei-Tang early on 
the morning of July 20th. The Chinese offi- 
cial escort consisted of Ten Ung-Hau, a blue- 
ball mandarin, salt commissioner ; Chang, a 
colonel, red-buttoned mandarin ; Lee, a blue- 
buttoned mandarin ; Fei and Pein Chinese 
prefects, with crystal balls. 

The first part of the journey was to be 
undertaken in ox-carts, which were entirely 
without springs and covered with canvas top, 
mounted on two wheels and drawn by two 
mules in tandem. The first part of the jour- 
ney was through a dismal burying-ground, 
on which thousands of conical-shaped grave 
mounds had been thrown. The vast number 
of orraves induced our officers to believe that 

o 

dead men were far more in evidence in China 
than live men. After two hours of patient 
toil the mules carried the Americans through 
this graveyard, and at noon they reached a 
village which was the first stopping-place. 
The house at which they stopped was pro- 
fusely decorated with strips of red silk upon 
which were written Chinese characters. 

When these characters were interpreted to 



A Land Cruise. 99 

our officers they were quite overwhelmed. 
They were intended to express the joy and 
good wishes of the Chinese Government on 
the first American official visit to his domains. 
Some of these mottoes were translated as 
follows : " Literature like a sfood horse is as 
vig-orous as a thousand autumns ; " The 
virtue of sages is like sweet wine ; " " The 
words of a King are like silken sounds ; " 
** Great joy ; " " Felicitous sun, auspicious 
cloud ; " " Harmonious breezes, sweet rains ; " 
"Receive all Heaven's happiness;" "Imagi- 
nation, like a great dragon, soars a hundred 
feet;" "Happiness comes from Heaven;" 
" Heaven's grace and riches ; " " The King- 
dom's favors are many." There were many 
others, but our officers found the interpreta- 
tion of these quite enough. 

Early the next morning the journey was 
" resumed in heavenly weather and over hellish 
roads " as one of the officers expressed it. At 
all the stopping-places the American officers 
found the most elaborate preparations made 
for their accommodation. Sumptuous dinners 
awaited them, and everything in the eating 
line known to Chinese culinary art was wait- 
ing for them. Our officers, however, confined 



loo The Old Na\y. 

themselves to a few well-known dishes, following 
the rule laid down by the experienced Euro- 
peans in China, " Never partake of anything in 
the way of flesh or fowl unless the head or legs 
are present or accounted for," On the close 
of the second day they reached the banks of 
the river which proved to be the Peiho, the 
Chinese taking this circuitous route evidently 
for the purpose of confusing the Americans as 
to the geography of the country. Here the 
party embarked in junks, and for the rest of the 
distance proceeded quite comfortably by water. 
The junks were pulled by a tow-line by ten 
Chinese coolies. On the 26th they passed 
through an opening in a barrier thrown across 
the river, which was just wide enough to admit 
the pacsage of the largest junk. It was con- 
structed of heavy logs of from ten to fourteen 
inches in diameter, and extended in a line with 
the course of the river about twelve feet. This 
barrier evidently had been constructed as an 
additional defence to the Capital against the 
gun-boats. 

Our officers arrived in Peking on the 27th, 
and were conducted to an old palace, where 
they were kept in close confinement, on one 
pretext or another, by the Chinese until the 



A Land Cruise. loi 

negotiations were completed, it being the pol- 
icy of the Chinese to allow the Americans to 
learn as little as possible about the country. 
It was at this stage of the negotiations that 
Mr. Ward showed his true Americanism. The 
Chinese ofificials endeavored to induce him to 
perform the ko-taw before the Emperor ; that 
is, fall on his hands and knees, and in that at- 
titude crawl on the floor toward the Emperor 
until at a given distance, when he was to stop, 
and knock the floor nine times with his fore- 
head. Mr. Ward absolutely refused to submit 
to any such ceremony, and declared that he 
would salute the Emperor in no other way 
than it was customary to salute the President of 
the United States. On August i ith, the party 
returned to Pei-Tang, arriving there after five 
days of fatiguing travel, where the treaties 
were formally exchanged. After that the 
American officers returned to the Poivhatan, 
that vessel shortly afterward returning to the 
United States, having on board the Japanese 
Commissioners. 



CI1AP'11<R IX. 



I'ARIV Sl'KVUK IN TilK CIV II, WAR. 



IT has been saitl that the j^ivatcst mihtary 
commanders displayed (juite as much 
skill in leedino- their armies as in arranoring 
their lines of battle. Whether this is exag- 
gcrated or not, it is certain that they spent 
much energy and forethought in this import- 
ant ilepartment. Probably no one realizes 
more than commanding generals the difficulty 
of fighting on an empty stomach ; and a 
careful perusal of their lives shows that they 
made great efforts not only to supply their 
men with an abuiulance of wholesome food, 
but to secure even luxuries. The feeding of 
the hundreds of thousands of men who kept 
the field durinjj;- the civil war in the Lhiited 
States, might well form in itself an interesting 
history. The transportation of immense quan- 



Early Service in the Civil War. 103 

titics of provisions, medical stores, and i^encral 
supplies, indispensable to active military oper- 
ations, over all kinds of roads, in all sorts of 
weather, and at all hours of the night and day, 
was a task of appalling magnitude ; and it was 
largely on the successful and prompt perform- 
ance of this work that the success of many 
campaigns depended. 

Ordinarily, little glory has h>een accorded 
the commissariat department, the sutler's divi- 
sion, or the cooking-vats ; while the patient, 
hard-working mule of the wagon-train has 
come in for his full share of ridicule. Even 
the hero of a successful foraging party has 
been denied a serious place among the men 
who contributed in more than an ordinary de- 
gree to the successful termination of the war, 
and his exploits have been relegated to the 
category of camp-fire yarns and open-hearth 
tales, rather than to the dignified record of 
history. Yet it must be admitted that the 
success of the heroes who fought in the front 
ranks was, to an appreciable extent, due to 
the men who patiently followed the army from 
one point to another, and who frequently were 
quite as much exposed to the main attack of 
the enemy as was the vanguard, and often were 



I04 The Old Navy. 

called upon to do some desperate fighting in 
order to defend the supplies from the swift 
raids of a daring and skilful foe. In short, it 
might well be a question open to serious argu- 
ment, whether or not, in proportion to their 
numbers, the men having the provision trains 
in charge did not do as much real fighting as 
the troops forming the line of battle. 

There is an important division of this corps 
of food-suppliers that performed gallant serv- 
ice during the Civil War which seemed to have 
escaped public attention ; and that is the divi- 
sion which kept our warriors on the high seas 
supplied with provisions. The commissariat 
department of the army has been more or less 
noticed in the popular narratives of the day, 
but this is far from being the case with the 
"commissariat's department" of the navy. 
One of the serious problems that confronted 
the Government in maintaining the blockade 
of Southern ports, was that of supplying our 
squadrons with necessary stores. The dreary 
monotony of the blockade service off the low* 
fever-stricken coasts af the Gulf States was 
rendered more irksome by the fogs prevailing 
at certain seasons of the year, which kept the 
ships constantly damp and in an unhealthy 



Early Service in the Civil War. 105 

condition. This, together with the sah meat, 
canned provisions, and the Hfeless monotony 
of the service, had a most depressing effect upon 
the ofificers and crews. Cut off from all regu- 
lar communication with the North; constantly 
exposed to sudden attacks from a vigilant foe ; 
they remained for weeks at a time ignorant 
of the progress of the war, except what they 
learned from an occasional Southern news- 
paper, or picked up from the fishermen ; and 
this, it may well be imagined, was so radiant 
with Confederate successes as to lead our offi- 
cers to believe that the Union was going rap- 
idly and irretrievably to pieces. 

A touching illustration of the privations our 
officers suffered is had in a private note from 
Flag-Officer James S. Lardner to Lieutenant 
Trenchard when the latter, in the Rhode Is- 
land, was at Key West. The note is dated, 
" U. S. Frigate St. Lawrence, Key West, Oct. 
6, 1 861: My dear Trenchard: Many thanks 
for your kind note and handsome present of 
fruit ; most acceptable in these scorching 
times. I regret extremely that the fever pre- 
vents me from having the pleasure of seeing 
you, and hope by the time you touch here on 
your return it will have passed away. With 



io6 The Old Navy. 

the present weather, there is no danger of any 
new cases. About ten days ago the weather 
was Hke this for awhile, and then there were 
no new cases until within a few days, when the 
hot weather returned, and brought it back. 
There has been only one death in the last 
ten days." 

For the purpose of keeping the blockade 
squadrons supplied with fresh provisions, and 
for securing a means for transporting the sick, 
wounded, prisoners, arms, ammunition, and the 
mails, the Government early in the war se- 
cured two steamers, christened Connecticut and 
Rhode Island, and detailed them for this impor- 
tant service. Why they were named after two 
of the smallest Northern states is difficult to 
understand, for the part they took in the war 
was by no means an unimportant one as 
the hundreds of surviving officers who sat 
down to well-provisioned messes will cheerfully 
attest. Aside from this duty they were fre- 
quently called upon to perform more warlike 
service in the way of chasing privateers or 
bombarding fortifications. 

Of such importance to the blockading squad- 
ron were the visits of the Comiccticnt and the 
Rhode Island that Flag-Ofificer William Mer- 



Early Service in the Civil War. 107 

vine, commanding the Gulf blockading squad- 
rons early in the war, issued the following order 
to the commanders of his vessels : " On making 
out the distinguishing numbers of the steamers 
Rhode Island and Connecticut, you will have 
your boats lowered to receive supplies of vege- 
tables and fresh provisions, thereby giving to 
those steamers quick dispatch." We get a good 
idea of the nature of this service in a letter 
from Commodore Hiram Paulding, a veteran 
of the war of 181 2, to Lieutenant Trenchard, 
dated January, 1862. " 1 have the pleasure 
to receive your note, and the green turtle 
heralded its coming. The first was kindly 
written, and the last most excellent eating, the 
objection being the great trouble it imposed 
upon you. No bill of expense came and I 
wait with all becoming solicitude the announce- 
ment of my responsibility. I thank you most 
sincerely for your kind remembrance, and Mrs. 
Paulding and the children unite with me in 
congratulations upon a successful trip and a 
safe, and I trust a happy, return. I have just 
learned that you are preparing to go with sup- 
plies [to the blockading squadrons] ; I would 
have liked it better if you were here [in Wash- 
ington] but am glad your ship is not to be 



io8 The Old Navy. 

withdrawn from the important service of con- 
veying suppHes, in which she has done her 
work so well. You may prefer other service 
but cannot find a more useful place for the 
public good. Your experience and ability fit 
you so eminently for your command, that no 
one could supersede you in the Rhode Isla7id 
without inconvenience and discomfort to the 
blockade. So I hope you will cheerfully con- 
trol any desire that you may have to knock 
the rebels on the head. I hope you will not 
be caught in the ice, which is to be appre- 
hended. I saw your First Lieutenant (Mr. 
Pennell) yesterday looking up a command 
amongst the small purchase steamers from 
which I think he made a selection. As usual, 
we are g^oing: on fittinor and sendingr to sea. 
Porter will get off this week with his heavy 
bomb flotilla, which will have a great power 
for mischief." 

In a letter from Acting Master J. M. Wain- 
wright, U. S. N., off Galveston, is seen the value 
of the service performed by the supply-steam- 
ers. " Many thanks for your kindness in 
sending the paper and the Navy Register. I 
am also much gratified that you called on my 
uncle. I understand this is your last trip in 



Early Service in the Civil War. 109 

the Rhode Island as a supply-steamer. I am 
sorry we are to lose so pleasant a monthly 
visitor, but I suppose you are tired of this 
duty, and I hope you may get a very rich berth 
instead." 

The Rhode A/^^;/*^ especially had a most inter- 
esting and romantic career as a supply-steamer. 
During the Civil War she steamed over 56,200 
miles running from one blockading squadron to 
another, and bringing good cheer to the officers 
and men ; taking an occasional dash in the West 
Indies after Confederate cruisers ; rescuing the 
survivors of the ill-fated Monitor ; lending a 
hand to ship-wrecked sailors ; protecting Ameri- 
cans in foreign ports ; acting as flagship to rear 
admirals ; and finally blossoming out as a full- 
fledged gunboat and capturing a number of 
vessels. 

This vessel, formerly the Eagle, was a side- 
wheel steamer built for the Charleston Line, and 
was new at the outbreak of hostilities. She 
was admirably adapted for the supply-service, 
being 236 feet over all, having thirty-six feet 
beam and 151 7 tons. The cabins were finished 
in polished maple and walnut ; the staterooms 
had excellent mattresses and blankets ; while 
there was a complete outfit of china, glassware 



no The Old Navy. 

and table-linen, besides every improvement 
then known in steam passenger vessels. It can 
be easily imagined that the ship was a most 
comfortable and luxurious home for a naval offi- 
cer, especially when compared with the wretched 
under-vvater accommodations of the monitors. 
She was purchased by the Government in New 
York, July i8, 1861, for $185,000, and a bat- 
tery of eight 8-inch shell guns was mounted on 
her, while a heavy plating of iron on her bow 
made her formidable as a ram, especially in 
view of her speed, which was about fourteen 
knots. In November, 1862, this armament was 
increased by the addition of two thirty-pounder 
rifled guns, and one 9-inch pivot gun as a bow- 
chaser. An ice-house and other fittings neces- 
sary to the supply-service were built in her 
while at the Brooklyn Navy Yard. When the 
war was over she was sold, October i, 1876, 
to her first owners. 

The peculiar nature of the service on which 
the Rhode Island was engaged will be seen in 
the order issued July 27, 1861, in which the 
Government showed its anxiety to make the 
officers on the blockading stations as comfort- 
able as possible : " You are authorized to fur- 
nish Messrs. McBrideand Elder with a passage 



Early Service in the Civil War. m 

for one person, and also a store-room in the 
Rhode Island to enable them to supply the offi- 
cers' messes of the blockading squadrons with 
stores, etc. [Probably such luxuries as were 
not allowed in the general rations.] They also 
proposed to make arrangements for washing 
the clothes of the officers, and if such an ar- 
rangement be concluded you will afford them 
facilities, if it can be done without detriment 
to the public service for accomplishing this 
object. Gideon Welles." 

The care with which the supplies were meas- 
ured out to each vessel of the blockading squad- 
ron is seen in an order dated July 25, 1861, 
from the Bureau of Provisions and Clothing : 
" The Bureau having directed provisions, cloth- 
ing and small stores and candles to be supplied 
by the Rhode Islarid under your command, you 
will direct the paymaster having charge of these 
stores to deliver them on the outward run, only 
to those vessels having; less than a two months' 
supply of these articles. On the return trip of 
the Rhode Island the stores remaining will be 
distributed to the vessels most in need of them. 
This order does not apply to fresh beef and 
fresh vegetables, or to ice. H. Bridge." 

Special provision was made for the accommo- 



I 1 2 



The Old Navy. 



dation of the all-important and always-welcomed 
paymaster, as will be seen in an order dated 
April 22, 1862: "In addition to the space 
necessary for fresh beef and vegetables which 
may be ordered by the Bureau of Provisions and 
Clothing, you will be pleased to assign for the 
use of the Paymaster's Department on board 
the supply-steamer Rhode Island, the space of 
1600 cubic feet, in one or more apartments, as 
may be most expedient, the same to be well se- 
cured and placed under the exclusive control of 
the Paymaster or Assistant-Paymaster of the 
vessel. This space will be allotted in the dry- 
est and most convenient part of the vessel avail- 
able for cargo, and will in no case be taken for 
any other purpose than for paymaster's stores 
on board as cargo, except by the special order 
of the Secretary of the Navy or the Chief of 
the Bureau of Provisions and Clothing. 

" Gideon Welles." 
On April 19, 1861, Lieutenant Trenchard 
was ordered to command the Keystone State, 
then at Philadelphia. He sailed from the 
navy-yard, under sealed orders, for Norfolk. 
Arriving there forty-eight hours after her pur- 
chase, completely armed and equipped, he 
found the place in flames, the frigate Cumber- 



Early Service in the Civil War. 113 

land, especially, being^ in great danger. She 
had been hemmed in, by the Confederates sink- 
ing a number of vessels, so as to obstruct the 
channel. Waiting until high tide, the Key- 
stone State, with the steam tug Yankee, suc- 
ceeded, after an hour of hard work, in crushing 
through these obstructions and rescuing the 
Cumberland. Flag-Officer Hiram Paulding 
transferred his flag to the Keystone State, upon 
which she proceeded to Washington, having 
on board the marines of the Norfolk Navy- 
Yard and several officers. Here he received 
the following complimentary order from Sec- 
retary Welles : " Upon Commander G. H. 
Scott's reporting, you will regard yourself as 
detached from the command of the Keystone 
State, and you will report to Captain Du Pont 
for temporary duty at the navy-yard under his 
command. The Department tenders its high 
appreciation of your promptness and efficiency 
while in command." On June 19, 1861, he, 
Trenchard, was ordered to command the Rhode 
Island, his selection being due, probably, to the 
fact that he had been engaged in the coast-sur- 
vey, 1 852-1 85 7, thereby becoming intimately 
acquainted with the Southern coasts. 

The other officers of the Rhode Island at 



114 The Old Navy. 

the beginning of her career were Lieut. J. A. 
Pennell ; Acting-Masters, Henry Churchill, 
T. N. Myer, and William Williams ; Assistant 
Surgeon Samuel R. Foreman ; Chief Engineer 
John F. McCutchen ; Third Assistant Engi- 
neers, George H. Rutter, Joseph C. Lewis, 
Greenville Lewis, and James R. Webb ; Pay- 
master, Richard Hall Douglass ; Acting-Mas- 
ters' Mates, A. B. Causse, Eugene W. Watson, 
E. R. Davidson, John O'Hare, and J. Rich- 
mond ; Paymaster's Clerk, Frank H. Deal ; 
and Captain's Clerk, Newcomb M. Bassett. 
Most of these officers were volunteers in the 
service, and were highly spoken of by their 
commander. Of McCutchen, Trenchard says : 
"He was always ready to have steam up, and 
was a most capable engineer." 

That the work of the Rhode Island was not 
to be entirely one of peace, will be seen by the 
order Lieutenant Trenchard received from the 
Secretary of the Navy, dated April 27, 1861 : 
" It will be the duty of all Government vessels 
to seize or capture any privateer or vessel it 
may meet on the high seas or in any waters, 
or making hostile demonstrations toward the 
United States or any of its citizens. Vessels 
having on board arms, munitions, articles con- 



Early Service in the Civil War. 115 

traband, or which are of suspicious character, 
or that claim to belong to, or have authority 
from, any government or pretended govern- 
ment not recognized by the United States, 
should be at once captured. All commanders 
of sea-going vessels will be vigilant and ener- 
getic in carrying out these orders." 

The sphere of action given to the Rhode 
Island was further enlarged by an order from 
Secretary Welles, dated October i, 1861 : " On 
your arrival from each trip to the blockading 
squadron, the Department desires you to fur- 
nish it with the following papers : ist. List of 
the passengers brought home, from what ves- 
sel received, and the cause of the return. 2d. 
An abstract of vessels spoken and boarded dur- 
ing the outward and homeward passages, when 
and where boarded, and your proceedings in 
each case. 3d. A list of the vessels to which 
you furnished supplies during the outward pas- 
sage, when and where supplied, and the nature 
and values of the supplied. 4th. A similar 
list respecting vessels supplied on the home- 
ward passage. You will also furnish, before 
leaving for the blockading squadron, a list of 
passengers and their destinations." 



CHAPTER X. 

FIRST TRIP SOUTH. 

THE RJiode Island began her work of 
bringing comfort and good-cheer to the 
blockading squadrons at noon, July 31, 1861. 
In accordance with his instructions to examine 
every ship he fell in with, Lieutenant Tren- 
chard, on the second day out, spoke a brig 
from New York and boarded another from 
Baltimore bound for St. Bias. On the after- 
noon of the third day he stood close in shore 
near Ocracoke Inlet, and observing a number 
of vessels at anchor in Pamlico Sound, opened 
fire on them with his rifled howitzer, but finding 
that the shot fell short by about half a mile, he 
desisted. 

On this, and the following day, the Rhode 
Island fell in with the United States warships 
Savannah and Wabash^ the former about forty 

116 



First Trip South. 1 1 7 

miles north of Cape Hatteras, and the latter 
some thirty miles south of Cape Fear. The 
officers and crews of these vessels expressed 
great delight on making out the Rhode Island's 
number, as indeed did all the crews engaged in 
blockade duty. " The officers of the Savan- 
7iah'' wrote Lieutenant Trenchard, '' were de- 
lighted with a surprise in the receipt of their 
letters ; supplied the Wabash with fresh pro- 
visions, stores, etc., and stood on our course 
for Charleston." The Wabash, at the time had 
in tow a schooner which she had recaptured 
from the Confederate privateer Dixie. Before 
Lieutenant Trenchard left the Wabash he cap- 
tured a French brig that had attempted to 
violate the blockade. 

On Sunday, August 4th, the Rhode Islajid 
arrived off Charleston. Just as day was break- 
ing the lookout reported a suspicious-looking 
schooner between them and the land. Lieu- 
tenant Trenchard promptly made chase, upon 
which the schooner put on every stitch of 
canvas and endeavored to gain the inlet. The 
Union steamer was rapidly gaining, and every 
moment the order to open fire was expected 
when the leadsman reported shoals. Finding 
that the water continued to shoal, Lieutenant 



ii8 The Old Navy. 

Trenchard was compelled to put about before 
he could ofet within striking- distance of the 
chase. He then ran into the main ship channel 
at Charleston, where he found the frip^ate 
Roafiokc, Captain William C. Nicholson, 
having Flag-Officer Garrett J. Pendergrast 
aboard ; the steamer Seminole, Commander 
Thompson ; and the sloop-of-war Vandalia, 
Commander S. Philips Lee, at anchor. 

While at this place the Union officers ex- 
perienced one of those serio-comic difficulties 
that were so common durincr the war. The 
officers of the Rhode Island had the kindest of 
dispositions, and held human slavery to be the 
most abominable of institutions. They entered 
upon their first active service in this war with a 
resolute determination to do all in their power 
to release the negro from his '' horrible bond- 
age." The first opportunity occurred off 
Charleston. Two negroes, about nineteen 
years of age, were innocently paddling along 
the shore in a canoe enjoying themselves thor- 
oughly, and apparently unconscious of their 
danger in being rescued from their "horrible 
bondage." When they were discovered, a boat 
from the Rhode Island promptly pulled off 
with a marine guard, and after a vigorous effort 



First Trip South. 119 

it overtook the canoe and brought the negroes 
aboard. 

So far everything had progressed as satisfac- 
torily as the most ardent humanitarian could 
desire. But soon the question arose, " What 
shall we do with the negroes ? " Dirty, and 
almost destitute of clothing, they were most 
persistent in obtruding themselves in just those 
parts of the ship where they were least wanted. 
In the first orush of kindliness for waifs rescued 
from "horrible bondage," the Union officers 
did not like to order their visitors around like 
the rest of the crew ; and the result was that 
Sambo and Jupiter soon became intolerable 
nuisances, especially for the officers ; for the 
negroes seemed to think no part of the ship too 
good for them, and that the persons of the 
officers were not too sacred to be handled. 
They took a fancy especially to the gold lace on 
the uniforms, and insisted on passing their 
horny hands over it. The nuisance became 
so great that after a consultation it was decided 
to send the " released slaves " aboard the Roa- 
noke. But Flag-Officer Pendergrast had been 
on the station longer than the officers of the 
Rhode Islajid, and undoubtedly had had expe- 
rience with the escaped slaves aboard his ship, 



I20 The Old Navy. 

so he promptly sent them back to the RJiode 
Island \v'\\\\ instructions to hind them under a 
flag of truce, or to keep them on board until 
they fell in with Flag-Officer Stringham, to 
whom they might be given up. 

But here another difficulty arose. It was 
doubtful if the Rhode Island would fall in with 
the old commodore, short of several months, 
and the idea began to prevail among the Rhode 
Island's officers that perhaps even Stringham 
might have so far satiated his desire to release 
the poor negro from his " horrible bondage," 
as to refuse to take them aboard of his ship 
and again send them back to the Rhode Island, 
with further indefinite instructions. The pros- 
pect of having the negroes aboard the ship 
several months, during the hottest part of the 
year, in a tropical climate, was too much for the 
intensely anti-slavery officers of the Rhode Isl- 
and, and finally it was decided to land them 
under a flag of truce, and leave them — to their 
" horrible bondage." On no other occasion 
do we find the Rhode Island's officers taking 
aboard fugitive negroes ; still less sending armed 
boats out to capture them. 

Touching at Savannah, August 5th, where 
she supplied the sailing frigate Sf. Lawrence 



First Trip South. 121 

with fresh provisions, the Rhode Isla7id arrived 
at Fernandina about seven o'clock the same 
evening, where she found the United States 
saiHng sloop-of-war yamestown, Commander 
Charles Green. The ymiiestown had just had 
an exciting chase and fight with a large block- 
ade-runner off the mouth of St. Mary's. Early 
in the day, while near this river, Commander 
Green discovered a large ship standing for the 
bar, apparently determined to get into the 
river at all hazards. Chase was promptly given ; 
and in a short time both vessels were stretch- 
ing away at full speed. Finding that it would 
be impossible to escape, the Confederate com- 
mander headed for the shore, and in a few 
minutes had his ship hard and fast aground. 
Well-armed boats were at once sent to take 
possession of the vessel and to get her off. In 
doing this, our men were fired upon from the 
shore with artillery and musketry, and a des- 
perate effort was made by the enemy to get 
a gun from the land to the ship to aid in her 
defence. But the boats from the Jamestown 
prevented this, and the Union tars soon took 
possession of the stranded craft, only a few 
minutes after she had been deserted by her 
officers and crew. 



122 The Old Navy. 

An examination was begun to ascertain the 
character of the cargo, but as night came on 
with every indication of a storm, it was de- 
cided to set fire to the ship and return to the 
Jamcstonni. This was done and the vessel 
was burned to the water's edge. She proved 
to be the sailing ship Aharado, of and for Bos- 
ton from Cape Town, and the impression was 
that she had been captured, and was being car- 
ried into St. Mary's, or that the prize-master 
had concluded to run the ship into that port and 
sell her. The log evidently had been written 
by a female, for the delicate handwriting indi- 
cated it. The last entry made in it was : " We 
are chased by a man-of-war, but I think we will 
escape her and get safely into St. Mary's." 
" It was a gallant affair," wrote Lieutenant 
Trenchard, " on the part of the Jamestown ; 
and the ofhcers and crew deserve the greatest 
credit for the daring exploit. They were ex- 
posed during the greater part of the time to a 
heavy fire from the artillery brought to bear 
on them from the shore. A large body of 
Confederate soldiers witnessed the afTair from 
the shore. Our opportune arrival with fresh 
supplies proved most acceptable to them on 
their return from the expedition." 



First Trip South. 123 

On Tuesday, August 6th, while off Cape 
Canavaral, Lieutenant Trencliard records that 
he gave his first dinner-party. Paymasters 
EHsha W. Dunn, and Henry H. Pangborn, 
and Messrs. Churchill, Blake, and Baldwin be- 
ing the guests. 

In the early part of the afternoon of the 
following day, while off the Florida Reefs, 
bound for Key West, a suspicious-looking ves- 
sel was discovered. Th.t. Rhode Island show (td 
her colors, and as the stranger did not display 
hers, a blank cartridge was fired. As it pro- 
duced no effect Lieutenant Trenchard fired a 
shot astern of her. This also was without effect, 
" and we were about to fire another shot when 
he condescended to hoist his flag. The Cap- 
tain being asked why he did not display his 
colors, replied, that he could not make ours 
out very clearly, and thought us * Seseshish ' 
and had made up his mind that he would not 
be captured with the Stars and Stripes flying, 
or give the rebels an opportunity for hauling it 
down. Another suspicious craft hove in sight 
after sunset with, as we supposed, a schooner in 
tow. Went to quarters and boarded her. She 
proved to be a Spanish bark from Havana." 

Stopping at Key West, St. Marks, Appala- 



124 The Old Navy. 

chicola, the Eastern Pass, and Pensacola, the 
Rhode Island found the Macedonian, the Ci'ii- 
sader, the Preble, the Ctiyler, (Captain Francis 
B. ElHson) the Montauk, (Commander James 
H. Strong), the Water WitcJi, (Commander 
William Ronckendorff), the Montgomery, the 
Wyandotte, the Colorado, and the Mississippi 
at those ports, and supplied them with the pre- 
scribed quota of provisions. 

The peculiar danger of the service on which 
the Rhode Island was engaged was well illus- 
trated when she approached Ship Island, near 
the mouth of the Mississippi River, at that 
time the headquarters of the squadron opera- 
ting against New Orleans. 1l\\& Rhode Island 
had left Pensacola, and at one o'clock on the 
morning of August 14th she discovered a light 
directly ahead. At that moment it was uncer- 
tain whether it was the liorht of a friend or of a 
foe. The belief that the stranger was an enemy 
was strengthened by the fact that it was not 
moving and apparently was waiting for a favor- 
able opportunity to attack. The crew of the 
Rhode Islaiid was sent to quarters and every 
preparation was made for immediate action. 
In order to avoid the danger of the battle be- 
tween friends, Lieutenant Trenchard hoisted 



First Trip South. 125 

his distinguishing Hghts and kept them up 
over an hour. But the stranger did not seem 
to understand the signal and made unintelHgi- 
ble answers, which only strengthened the belief 
that an enemy was at hand. 

Fortunately both commanders had so little 
faith in the efficiency of the night-signal service 
then in vogue in the United States Navy, that 
they believed a mistake possible on both sides, 
and so refrained from firing until they could 
exchange hails, and establish their identity. 
" It was a relief," wrote Lieutenant Trenchard, 
" to get within hail and recognize friend from 
foe." The stranger proved to be the United 
States warship Massachusetts, Commander 
Smith, and instead of firing a broadside of cold 
iron into him, Lieutenant Trenchard accom- 
panied the Massachusetts to her anchorage at 
Chandlers Island, and furnished her officers and 
crew with a welcomed supply of fresh provisions. 

Three o'clock that afternoon Lieutenant 
Trenchard boarded a strange vessel, but find- 
ing her to be an English sloop-of-war, he pro- 
ceeded on his way, and at eight p.m. anchored 
off Pass a I'outre near the Brooklyn and the 
St. Louis, which vessels, also were supplied 
with fresh provisions. 



126 The Old Navy. 

Only three nights after his uncomfortable 
experience with the Massachitsctts Lieuten- 
ant Trenchard had another illustration of 
the imperfect system of night-signals then in 
use in the Navy. This time, August 1 7th, 
he was approaching Galveston early in the 
morning. The United States Steamer South 
Carolina, Commander James Alden, was on 
guard off port. " Great care had been taken 
in approaching." wrote Lieutenant Trenchard, 
" as she had fancied us to be a suspicious 
craft, and as our night-signals did not appear 
to be understood it was necessary to display a 
little tact to avoid being fired into, which was 
accomplished by our running round the South 
Carolina, and approaching her stern slowly 
until coming within hail. Commander Alden 
was greatly relieved on learning the name of 
our steamer and getting his letters and good 
news from home. I breakfasted with him and 
he lunched with me." 

Leaving the bark Davis, of Philadelphia, 
laden with coal for the squadron, and the 
schooner Wanderer at this place, the Rhode 
Island began her return trip. Giving the 
Huntsville a supply of fresh provisions south 
of Shell Key Light, the Rhode Island met the 



First Trip South. 127 

frigate Niagara off Southwest Pass, Monday 
August 19th, and furnished her with the usual 
suppHes. About this time the Confederate 
cruiser Sumter in command of the famous 
Captain Raphael Semmes, was reported as 
being in the Gulf and there was great excite- 
ment in the Union squadron. Lieutenant 
Trenchard notes that " the Powhatan being 
still absent it is presumed that she has followed 
up the Sumter y On June i8th the Sumter 
had dropped down from New Orleans to the 
Head of the Passes and after waiting several 
weeks she made a bold dash for the bar and 
although hotly pursued by the blockading 
vessels she managed to escape. The chagrin 
of the Union Commander at the audacious es- 
cape of the Sumter^ therefore, can well be im- 
agined, so that when it was rumored that she 
was again in the vicinity, presumably after a 
successful cruise, the Union officers spared no 
trouble to insure her capture. The Sumter did 
not return to New Orleans, however, but con- 
tinued to cruise in the West Indies and finally 
ran over to Gibraltar where she was blockaded 
by the Kearsarge, the Ttiscarora, and the Ino. 
Supplying the Brooklyn, the St Louis, and 
the Mississippi 2X the Passes of the Mississippi, 



128 The Old Navy. 

the RJiode Island, at 4 p.m., August 21st, sailed 
for Pensacola, where she arrived at 7 a.m. on 
the following morning, anchoring near the 
Colorado. Here the little supply-steamer per- 
formed a signal service for the Government. 
The Wyandotte had been detailed to blockade 
the Eastern Pass of the Mississippi, but it was 
found that the channel could easily be blocked 
by sinking a schooner, thus placing at the dis- 
posal of the Gulf squadron an additional war- 
ship. So great was the demand for war vessels 
at this time, that the addition of one vessel was 
a matter of no small importance. A schooner 
was secured at Pensacola and taking it in tow, 
the Rhode Island carried it to the Eastern 
Pass, where it was sunk, thus relieving the 

Wyandotte of that duty. 

The Rhode Islajtd then continued on her 
homeward voyage, supplying the Mofitgomery 
and the Cuyler at Appalachicola, the Montatik 
at St. Mark's, and falling in with the Santee, 
Captain Henry Eagle ; the Vincennes, Com- 
mander Robert Handy ; the Preble, Com- 
mander Henry French ; the Keystone State, 
Commander Gustavus H. Scott ; the Crtisader, 
Commander Tunis A. M. Craven ; and the 

Water Witch, Commander William Roncken- 



First Trip South. 129 

dorff, at Key West, At this point Lieutenant 
Trenchard notes: "Thankful to have escaped 
the heavy gale experienced by all the vessels 
fallen in with." 

Monday, August 26th, was spent by the 
Rhode Island at Key West in coaling and get- 
ting ready for sea, and on the following day 
she resumed her voyage for New York. On 
the 29th she arrived off the bar at Savannah, 
where she met the frigate St. Lawrence. While 
supplying this vessel with provisions a squall 
came up which delayed operations an hour. 
Continuing her course at 6.30 p.m., the Rhode 
Island, at midnight, made out the lights of the 
Roanoke off Charleston harbor and dropped 
anchor near her. After " calling on my friend, 
Commander Maxwell Woodhull, of the Con- 
necticut,'' the sister ship of the Rhode Island, 
bound for the Gulf with fresh supplies, Lieu- 
tenant Trenchard resumed his course for New 
York. 

When off Hatteras Inlet he found the Monti- 
cello, the Harriet Lane, the Pawnee, the George 
Peabody, and the Cumberland, and from the 
people in the last-named ship learned that the 
forts guarding the Inlet had been captured by 
the fleet under Flag-Officer Stringham on the 



130 The Old Navy. 

28th. Standing on to Cape Henry, the Rhode 
Island, at 3 p.m., spoke the sloop-of-war, Dale, 
Commander Edward M. Yard, and at 6 a.m., 
September ist, communicated with the Quaker 
City. At 1.30 A.M. on the following day, the 
lookout reported the lights at Atlantic High- 
lands, and soon afterward the Rhode Island {it\[ 
in with the United States frigate Minnesota. 
The Rhode Island arrived at the Brooklyn 
Navy Yard that day where the sick men who 
had been taken aboard from the different ves- 
sels of the blockading squadrons were landed. 



^<^S^5 







CHAPTER XL 



VERY ACTIVE CRUISING. 



LIEUTENANT TRENCHARD began 
his second trip South September 8th, 
touching at Hampton Roads, where he re- 
ceived despatches for Flag-Officer WilHam 
Mervine and the following instructions from 
the Navy Department : " Upon the receipt of 
the public despatches from the Department, 
which will be delivered to you by a special mes- 
senger, you will proceed with the U. S. steamer 
Rhode Island direct to the Gulf of Mexico, re- 
porting yourself to Commodore Mervine, and 
placing your vessel at his disposal. In the 
performance of this duty, your instructions will 
not be diverted or interfered with by any senior 
officer to yourself whom you may fall in with 
prior to meeting with Commodore Mervine." 
In getting under way again that evening the 



131 



I "^2 



The Old Navy. 



Rhode Is/and lost her anchor and fifteen fath- 
oms of chain. In the night a large Dutch steam 
frigate was spoken off Cape Henry, and at 
noon on the following day the United States 
sailing- friofate Potomac was boarded. Late that 
afternoon the Rhode /s/a7id p^isscd the United 
States steamer P'/a^, which was in full chase, 
after a suspicious-looking craft seaward. At 
dusk Lieutenant Trenchard made a large sail 
inshore, and on drawing nearer, the stranger 
suddenly fired a shot across the Rhode Island's 
bow. This startlinir summons to heave-to was 
promptly obeyed as it was evident that the lit- 
tle Rhode Island was in the presence of a pow- 
erful warship. A few minutes later a boat 
ran alongside and an officer stepped aboard an- 
nouncing that his ship was the United States 
steam-frigate Susquehanna. The Union squad- 
rons had been unusually vigilant as several 
blockade runners recently had succeeded in 
eluding our ships, and our officers did not pro- 
pose to have it repeated ; hence the summary 
call on the Rhode Islaftd to heave-to. At nine 
o'clock that eveninor a sail was made out di- 
rectly ahead which proved to be a prize schooner 
taken by the United States steamer Cambridge. 
Continuing her course southward the Rhode 



Very Active Cruising-. 133 

Island at 9.45 o'clock the following mornings 
September 15th, passed Carrysford Reef Light, 
and hoisting her colors fired a gun. This was 
promptly answered by a display of the Stars 
and Stripes from the top of the lighthouse. 
The brief reference to this episode in Lieuten- 
ant Trenchard's journal is full of meaning to 
seamen and lighthouse-keepers. It would be 
difficult to imagine a life more lonely than 
that of a lighthouse-keeper on a reef far out 
at sea. At the same time no sight brings 
greater joy to the sailor than that of the trusty 
watch-tower rising out of the waste of waters 
giving warning of dangerous shoals. Simple 
as the interchange of courtesies between the 
Rhode Island and the lighthouse-keeper on 
Carrysford Reef had been it was a source of 
deep satisfaction on both sides : to the keeper 
to see some evidences of human life, and more 
particularly to know that Old Glory was still 
floating on the high seas (for the exaggerated 
reports of the war that had reached him from 
Southern sources tended to the belief that the 
Confederate ironclads and commerce destroy- 
ers would sweep the Stars and Stripes from 
the ocean) ; and to the people in the Rhode 
Island, because it was proof that in the light- 



134 The Old Navy. 

house on which mariners so much depended, 
"All was well." Early that same evening 
the Rhode Island made the Sombrero Light- 
house and the same courtesies were exchanged, 
the keeper displaying the Stars and Stripes 
from the top of the white tower, while the 
Rhode Island saluted. 

At 7.40 P.M. the Rhode Island stopped her 
engrines and fired a orun and a rocket for a 
pilot. She also used night-signals made with 
costons and her distinguishing number with 
lanterns. Major French, U. S. A. put a pilot 
on board and soon afterward followed in per- 
son. Lieutenant Trenchard dined with Cap- 
tain Breese, and the officers at Fort Taylor on 
Monday, September i6th, and on the follow- 
ing day got under way for Pensacola making 
that fort shortly after daylight September 
19th. Here he learned of the gallant attack 
on the Confederate privateer Jiidah in the 
harbor of Pensacola which was led by Lieuten- 
ant John Henry Russell, afterward Rear- 
Admiral. 

Never stopping more than a few hours in her 
hasty voyages the Rhode Island left Pensacola 
on the day of her arrival, and soon after day- 
light, September 20th, made the Richynond, 



Very Active Cruising. 135 

the Vinccnnes and the Water Witch at anchor 
off Pass a I'outre. These vessels were mak- 
ing preparations to occupy the Head of the 
Passes. Running down to Southwest Pass 
where she found the Niagara, the Rhode Island 
began her return trip, arriving at Pensacola 
September 21st. At this place Flag-Officer 
Mervine desiring to visit Flag-Officer McKean 
at the Head of the Passes, transferred his flag 
from the great frigate Colorado to the Rhode 
Island, thus raising the staunch little steamer 
to the unexpected dignity of a flagship. The 
ceremony of transferring the flag was attended 
with a good deal of pomp. The crews of the 
two vessels manned the yards, the seamen put 
on their best uniforms, the officers donned their 
full dress and side arms, while the guns of the 
ships thundered out salutes. Running down 
to the Passes of the Mississippi, Flag-Officer 
Mervine exchanged salutes with Flag-Officer 
McKean in the Niagara, while Captain Polk 
of the Richmond was ordered aboard the 
Rhode Island and held a conference with Flag- 
Officer Mervine ; probably relative to the pro- 
posed occupation at the Head of the Passes. 

Some excitement was afforded at this place 
by a Confederate steamer coming down the 



136 The Old Navy. 

river: apparently with the intention of running 
the blockade, Lieutenant Trenchard sent his 
men to quarters, cleared the guns, and gave 
chase ; but the Confederates retired up the 
river before the Rhode Isicutd could get within 
gun-shot. 

On the evening of September 24th when 
the Rhode Island was well on her return trip 
to New York, a stranger was discovered off 
the starboard bow. The Rhode Island made 
the proper night-signals, but on observing 
them the stranger instantly put out all her 
lights and made every effort to escape. This 
confirmed Lieutenant Trenchard in the belief 
that he was on the track of one of the Con- 
federate cruisers and, darkening his lights also, 
he ordered full speed in the direction the 
strang-er had taken when last seen. But in 
spite of every effort to keep the vessel insight 
she was soon lost to view, as the night was 
unusually dark and there were frequent squalls 
of rain. 

Passing Sand Key Light at midnight the 
Rhode Island, on the following day, boarded the 
mail steamer Marion from Havana bound for 
New York, and spoke the English brig Cogno- 
men from Cienfuegos for Boston. While off 



Very Active Cruising-. 137 

the Delaware the Rhode Island passed her sis- 
ter ship the supply-steamer Connecticut which 
was just starting out on her second trip South. 
The Rhode Island arrived at the Brooklyn 
Navy Yard September 29th. 

The first two trips South showed Lieutenant 
Trenchard that there was a great demand for 
ice among the vessels he supplied, and on his 
return North from his second trip he remained 
two weeks at the navy yard having the Rhode 
Island's ice-house enlarged. This work being 
completed, he, for the third time, turned south- 
ward on his supply mission, having on board 
as a passenger Mr. Robert W. Shufeldt, the 
United States Consul General at Havana. 
This orentleman had been a lieutenant in the 
United States Navy, but resigned before the 
war broke out and commanded one of the 
Collins line of steamers running to Liverpool. 
In May, 1863, he again received a commission 
in the Navy and commanded the Conentaitgh ; 
afterward he became a rear-admiral. At this 
time the project of erecting a fort at the Head 
of the Passes in the Mississippi River was un- 
der way, and the Rhode Island, stopping at 
Hampton Roads, October 14th, by order of the 
Secretary of the Navy, took aboard a rifled 



I3S The Old Navy. 

8o-pounder and a quantity of ammunition for 
this battery. But the unfortunate termination 
of the " affair of the Passes " in which the com- 
paratively harmless ram A/ajiassas, with a few 
river boats, frii^htened off the Union Squadron, 
rendered the transportation of this gun unneces- 
sary. 

Taking aboard a number of officers who 
desired to join their ships in the blockading 
squadrons, and having a quantity of ammuni- 
tion aboard for the Monticcllo, Lieutenant 
Trenchard left Hampton Roads October 15th. 
Thirty miles south of Cape Henry he boarded 
the ship Isabel of and for Baltimore, from 
Rotterdam. Falling in with and supplying the 
United States steamer Cavibridgc with fresh 
provisions near Cape Fear River, the James- 
town, the Young Rover, and the Gevisbock, Oc- 
tober 17th, \\\^ Rhode Island •s,^oV^\\\^ English 
bark Elizabeth of Liverpool, and on October 
1 8th, gave the ships Sabine, Roanoke, I lag, 
and Montieello the usual supplies near Charles- 
ton, and the Savan7iah off Savannah. 

Passing rapidly southward. Lieutenant Tren- 
chard boarded the English brig Rosita, October 
2ist, and finding that she was laden with ma- 
hogany for London, allowed her to proceed. 



Very Active Cruising. 139 

After coaling all night from the United States 
ship Fearnaiight at Key West, the Rhode 
Island, at 6.30 a.m., October 24th, hastened 
on her way to St. Marks, boarding the Ameri- 
can schooner Ainstides of Key West on the 
way. This vessel had a permit from the com- 
manding naval officer to fish in Florida Bay, 
but as she was one hundred and eighty miles 
from that place, and was coming from the di- 
rection of Tampa Bay, standing toward Ap- 
palachicola, Lieutenant Trenchard deemed the 
circumstances suspicious, and seizing her, sent 
her to Key West in charge of Master's-Mate 
Thatcher, and a prize crew for adjudication. 
No final decree was rendered in the Arislides s 
case, but it mattered little as the amount dis- 
tributed would have been about $60 among 
the officers and crew after deducting expenses. 
The Rhode Island supplied the Montauk 
off St. Marks October 26th, and while endea- 
voring to do the same for \\i^ Marion, the two 
steamers came in collision and both narrowly 
escaped sinking. As it was, the Rhode Island 
carried away two of the Mario7is stern boats. 
The accident was caused by the steamer being 
so much out of trim that her rudder was al- 
most out of the water and scarcely affected 



I40 The Old Navy. 

her course. Leaving a boat to replace one 
that he had destroyed, Lieutenant Trenchard 
sailed for Appalachicola, supplying the Mo7it- 
gomery en route. 

On the arrival of the Rhode Island at Pen- 
sacola, the Union forces were found to be 
preparing to resist a night attack which it was 
thought the Confederates would make. Cap- 
tain Bailey, the senior naval officer present, 
ordered the Rhode Island to run to the east, 
along Santa Rosa Island within a mile of the 
beach, so as to prevent the landing of Confed- 
erate troops at that point. The order was 
faithfully carried out. llie crew of the Rhode 
Island remained in quarters all night, and 
everything was kept in readiness for immediate 
action. At daylight, October 28th, Lieuten- 
ant Trenchard returned to the anchorage and 
after supplying the Colorado left for Mobile, 
arriving there at four o'clock that afternoon. 

Speeding along her course in the Gulf, the 
Rhode Island supplied the squadron off the 
Passes of the Mississippi. From the Niagara, 
which had just returned from Japan on a diplo- 
matic cruise when the war broke out. Lieu- 
tenant Trenchard took aboard thirty-three 
boxes containing presents from the Japanese 



Very Active Cruising. 141 

Government to the United States. While 
running from Galveston to Ship Island on her 
return trip, the Rhode Island, on November 
2d, being diverted from her course by a strong 
northerly current, struck on Trinity Shoal. 
Fortunately, the engines had been stopped a 
few minutes before in order to take soundings 
so that the shock was slight and did no serious 
injury. 

While off the Southwest Pass another acci- 
dent caused Lieutenant Trenchard great anx- 
iety. Soon after dark, November 3d, a boat 
with the paymaster's clerk in it put off from the 
Rhode Island for the Niagaj^a for the purpose 
of obtaining receipts for the supplies furnished 
that vessel. The night was exceedingly dark, 
and owing to the great strength of the wind 
and the tide the boat was carried out to sea in 
spite of every exertion of her crew. As soon 
as the craft shoved off from the Rhode Island 
Lieutenant Trenchard noticed that it drifted 
astern at a dangerously swift rate, and his fears 
for the safety of his men were at once aroused. 
Waiting until eight o'clock, when the boat ought 
to have returned, and learning nothing of its 
fate Lieutenant Trenchard got the Rhode Is- 
land under way, and running up to the Niagara, 



14- The Old Navy. 

inquired if the boat had reached that ship. 
Learning that it had not, his anxiety was 
doubled and he ordered the vessel .to steam 
out to sea in the direction in which the wind 
and tide probably had carried the missing 
boat. 

All night long the Rhode Island steamed 
back and forth over the dark boisterous sea, 
burning coston signal lights in hopes of discov- 
ering her missing men. When day broke the 
horizon was anxiously scanned, but only a 
dreary waste of yellowish water greeted the 
eye on one side, and the low sandy shores on 
the other. Thinking that the boat might have 
regained the anchorage in the night, Lieuten- 
ant Trenchard hastened back to the Niagara, 
but learning that nothing had been seen of it 
he again put out to sea, this time going farther 
out than he did the nicrht before. But all to 
no purpose. The men, apparently had been 
lost. " But at half past three in the after- 
noon," wrote Lieutenant Trenchard, " my 
heart was gladdened by the report of a gun to 
attract our attention. We took the hint and 
returned. I was overjoyed to find that the 
boat had been discovered inside of our track, 
and a boat was sent to her relief and brought 



Very Active Cruising. 143 

alongside of the Niagara. I feel indeed truly 
thankful that the boat's crew and ofificers had 
returned in safety. The men had spent the 
night buffeting the waves, endeavoring to re- 
gain their ship." 

Touching at the Gulf ports in the same 
order in which she came, the Rhode Island, 
on November 6th, while at Pensacola, took 
aboard a number of invalids, and twenty-four 
prisoners from Fort Pickens, who were to be 
carried North. A number of passengers also, 
were aboard, including Lieutenants Russell and 
Selden of the Colorado, and Lieutenant-Colonel 
Creighton with other officers of the Sixth New 
York Regiment. At Dog Island, Lieut. G. 
W. Doty left the Rhode Isla7id to relieve 
Lieutenant Bryant of the Marion, the latter 
taking passage in the Rhode Island. A num- 
ber of Navy and Army officers took passage 
in the Rhode Island on this trip, among whom 
were General French and Lieut. John Tattnall 
of the Marine Corps. Among the Army offi- 
cers was the famous " Colonel " Billy Wilson 
and staff, of the Zouaves. On leaving the 
ship the " Colonel " presented Lieutenant 
Trenchard with a gorgeous chromo represent- 
ing the Zouave commander in full uniform. 



144 The Old Navy. 

with a camp of the " Zoo-Zoos" in the back- 
ground. Leaving Key West, November iith, 
the Rhode Island made Carrysford Reef Light 
early on the following morning, and boarded 
a Spanish brig and the American brig JMoiin- 
taiJi Eagle, and spoke the United States 
steamer Hatteras, and the British war steamer 
Steady. 

At 3.30 P.M., November 13th, while speak- 
ing the bark Kate Lineoln, under English col- 
ors, off St. John's Bar, Lieutenant Trenchard 
sighted and gave chase to a suspicious-looking 
schooner that, apparently, was endeavoring to 
get into the port. The Rhode Islajid gained 
rapidly, and observing the danger the chase 
was in, a Confederate steamer ran out to assist 
her. Upon this Lieutenant Trenchard trained 
one of his 8-inch guns on the steamer and fired 
with such accuracy that on the third shot the 
steamer put back to cover. Meantime, the 
schooner had succeeded in crossing the bar. 
The Rhode Island followed as far as the shoal- 
ing water would admit, and then heaving-to 
fired rapidly at the two vessels, as long as they 
were within reach of her guns. 

Touching at Fernandina and St. Simon's 
without finding a vessel there the Rhode Is- 



Very Active Cruising. 145 

land headed northward, and after supplying the 
Savannah and the Augusta o^ Savannah, 
she visited the Union fleet at Port Royal, 
where Lieutenant Trenchard went aboard the 
Wabash to offer his congratulations to Flag- 
Officer Samuel Francis Dupont for his brilliant 
victory in capturing that important seaport. 
Commenting on the bombardment of Forts 
Walker and Beauregard, Lieutenant Trench- 
ard says : " Flag-Officer Dupont deserves 
the highest degree of credit for the manner 
in which the attack was conducted and which 
resulted in so glorious a victory. My best 
wishes attend the success of this accomplished 
officer and his gallant command. I dined with 
the Flag-Officer and my old friends Capt. 
Charles H. Davis, Capt. C. R. P. Rogers, to- 
gether with General French. After dinner we 
all went on shore and walked over the works 
at Hilton Head, to witness the effect of the 
shot and shell. The dismounted guns, shat- 
tered carriages and torn-up earth impressed 
us fully how roughly these works had been 
handled." 

Complying with orders to take on board the 
officers and crew of the steamer Governor^ 
which had foundered in the terrific gale, while 



146 The Old Navy. 

on her way to Port Royal, Lieutenant Trench- 
ard left that place November 15th. He 
spoke the United States cruiser Alabama, 
and the Susquehanna off Charleston. Con- 
tinuing northward he made Cape Hatteras 
Light at daybreak, November i6th. Off this 
point one of the invalid seamen, named Rich- 
ard Tyrell (who had been taken aboard from 
the Potomac), in a moment of delirium jumped 
overboard. In an instant the dreaded cry, 
" Man overboard ! " resounded throuo^h the 
ship. The engines were stopped and reversed, 
the helm put hard a-port, the life buoy was cut 
away and a boat was lowered. But after a 
long search no trace of the man could be 
found. As he had jumped from one of the 
forward ports it was thought that the paddle- 
wheel had struck and killed him instantly. 
Only a few days before Tyrell had made an 
attempt to kill himself by gashing his arm with 
a knife. 

Stopping at Hampton Roads for a few hours 
the Rhode Island again put to sea, arriving 
in New York, November 19th. Lieutenant 
Trenchard notes that while passing up the 
Narrows, his vessel was " boarded by the 
Health Officer and the Associated Press for 



Very Active Cruising. 



147 



news." The next day the Rhode Island ran 
into the Navy Yard, where Lieutenant Trench- 
ard witnessed the launch of the Oneida. The 
sick and invalids were transferred to the 
Naval Hospital, while the United States Mar- 
shal came aboard and took possession of the 
Confederate Lieutenants, Cooper and Farley, 
with twenty-three privates who had been cap- 
tured by the Union forces on Santa Rosa 
Island, near Pensacola. 





CHAPTER XII. 



ON THE ENEMY S COAST. 



THE Rhode Island in her first three trips 
South had proved herself to be such a fast 
and efficient vessel that the Navy Department 
determined to increase her armament and while 
she remained in the Navy Yard, November 
20th to December 5th, 1861, two 8-inch guns 
and a 30-pounder Parrott gun were placed 
aboard her. On December 5th, having re- 
ceived her allowance of powder, she sailed from 
New York with the usual supplies for the block- 
ading squadrons, taking aboard a 9-inch gun 
at Hampton Roads for the Pawnee and a gun 
carriaee for the Pocahontas. 

At eieht o'clock on the evenino- of Decem- 
ber 8th, just after she had passed Hatteras In- 
let, she boarded the British sc\\oor\Qr Phanto77iy 

laden with sugar and molasses from St. Johns, 

148 



On the Enemy's Coast. 149 

Antigua, for New York. As this vessel had 
been boarded only the day before by the United 
States warship Mount Vernon, and was warned 
off the coast, Lieutenant Trenchard decided to 
seize her and turn her over to the blockading 
squadron off Beaufort. Arriving off this place 
December 9th, it was decided to release the 
Phantom, and after supplying several steamers 
with provisions, he sailed again that day with 
the Phantom in tow, casting her off twenty- 
four miles south of Beaufort. The barks Ar- 
m,anda and Gem,, and the frigate Sabine off 
Georgetown, S. C, were supplied and the 
United States transport L. R. Spaulding, 
bound for Port Royal with troops, was spoken 
December loth. 

While approaching Charleston at 3.30 a.m. 
the following day the people of the Rhode 
Island were startled by the report of guns. 
Believing that some battle was in progress. 
Lieutenant Trenchard cleared for action, sent 
his men to quarters, and cautiously drew near 
the bar. Exchanging signals with the block- 
ading squadron, he communicated with the 
Augusta, the Roebuck, the Florida, and the 
Alabama. The guns which had so alarmed 
the Rhode Island's crew were found to have 



I50 The Old Navy. 

been fired by Fort Sumter " in commemora- 
tion of some rebel rejoicing." 

Getting under way for Port Royal the Rhode 
Island, on December i ith, passed the Eng^Ush 
warship Racer, bound for New York. Sup- 
plying^ the flagship Wabash at Port Royal, the 
Rhode Is/and, while endeavoring to steam out 
of that harbor in the evening, when it was too 
dark to distinguish the buoys, got out of the 
channel and touched bottom. Checking his 
course, Lieutenant Trenchard backed toward 
the channel, as nearly as he could judge, and 
anchored. As there were only four fathoms of 
water on either side it was decided to wait until 
daybreak and the fires were banked. But the 
wind, which had been light during theafternoon, 
suddenly shifted to the northeast and by half 
past eleven o'clock it was blowing half a gale, 
which together with the shallow water and the 
darkness made the Rhode Is/ajid's position ex- 
tremely perilous. Realizing his danger, Lieu- 
tenant Trenchard ordered a full head of steam, 
but before this had been accomplished his 
cable parted. Promptly dropping his port an- 
chor, he brought the head of his ship to, but 
that chain also snapped the moment it felt the 
strain. 



On the Enemy's Coast. 151 

All this time the ship was drifting among 
the dangerous shoals and occasionally, when 
the recession of an unusually heavy wave caused 
her to dip lower than usual, her keel would 
strike bottom with a shock that promised to 
shake her to pieces in a short time. Fortu- 
nately the engineer soon got up a full head of 
steam and gathered headway, finally enabling 
the ship to regain deep water, although she 
struck bottom a number of times before this 
could be done. 

After her narrow escape from shipwreck at 
Port Royal, the Rhode Island hastened south- 
ward and on December 14th boarded the 
American schooner Greenland, from Havana 
for Philadelphia, laden with fruit. Several 
other American and English vessels also were 
boarded. One of these was the English 
schooner Julia from Port au Platte. From 
her master Lieutenant Trenchard learned that 
information had reached Havana of the Sumter 
being at Kingston, St. Vincent's Island, West 
Indies, and was blocked by the Iroquois. From 
the other vessels coming from Havana, Lieu- 
tenant Trenchard learned that two schooners 
and a steamer laden with cotton and rice had 
run the blockade at New Orleans and arrived 



152 The Old Navy. 

at Havana in safety under Confederate 
colors. 

After speaking the bark Citizen horn Aspin- 
wall for New York the Rhode Islajtd, on the 
afternoon of December 15th, while off Carrys- 
ford Reef, boarded the English brig Alteta, 
from Matanzas to Baltimore, whose master re- 
ported that a Confederate schooner flying the 
English flag had left Matanzas without "regis- 
ter or clearance." The Rhode Island reached 
Key West December 1 7th, where she spent 
several days coaling and repairing her ma- 
chinery. During this time Lieutenant Trench- 
ard notes that he dined with Judge Marvin's 
family, and that a number of ladies and gen- 
tlemen, including the Rev. and Mrs. Herrick, 
Miss Johnson, Miss Haley, and Miss Pinckney 
.of Key West, took tea aboard the Rhode 
Island. 

Leaving the Richmond, the Wanderer, and 
the Guard at this place, the Rhode Isla7id, on 
December 20th, supplied the United States 
ship Ethan Allen at Tampa, and the steamer 
Montaiik at St. Marks, and the Marion and 
the Hatteras at Appalachicola, where Lieu- 
tenant Trenchard notes " Young Etting, who 
had come out with me, left the ship to join 



On the Enemy's Coast. 153 

Captain Doty as his clerk. Paymaster Gil- 
man [lately Pay Director of the United States 
Navy], late of the Marion, joined this vessel 
for passage to the Santee.'' At Pensacola the 
Rhode Island supplied the South Carolina and 
the Cuyler ; at Mobile the Potomac and the 
Huntsville, and at Ship Island and mouths of 
the Mississippi, the Niagara, the Preble, the 
Water Witch, the New London, the Massachu- 
setts, the Wissahickon, the Pampiro, the Mis- 
sissippi, xhft Kingfisher, 2ind the Vincennes. At 
Northeast Pass, Lieutenant Trenchard notes, 
" Received from the Vincennes Lieutenant 
Clark, to join the Santee, and Acting Master 
Davis, an invalid for home." 

Christmas, 1861, in the Gulf of Mexico was 
a bright, mild and pleasant day. Two hours 
after midnight, the Rhode Island fell in with 
the Colorado, at anchor off Southwest Pass, 
and furnished her with the usual supplies of 
fresh provisions, letters, papers, etc., which 
were most acceptable Christmas gifts. The 
cold comforts of a Christmas at sea, off a hos- 
tile coast, and thousands of miles from loved 
ones at home, was made doubly disagreeable 
aboard the Rhode Island this year by her nar- 
rowly escaping shipwreck. She met the 



154 The Old Navy. 

United States steamer De Soto off Barataria 
at lo. 20 A.M. and gave her the usual supplies, 
and then hastened on her errand of good 
cheer. When off the Light on Ship Island 
Shoal at 4.15 that afternoon, she struck bot- 
tom. The shock was felt by everyone in the 
vessel and fears of a serious disaster were en- 
tertained. The accident was the fault of no 
one aboard, for at the time the light-house 
was fully seven miles away and according to 
the latest charts there was plenty of water for 
the vessel on the course the ship had been 
holding. The ever-shifting sands in this part 
of the Gulf, however, made navigation within 
sight of land always a risky undertaking, and 
the navigators in the Rhode Island found it so 
on more than one occasion. Fortunately, im- 
mediately after touching, the Rhode Island ran 
into deep water and, standing out to sea, she 
got into safe quarters again. Just before and 
after she touched, the lead showed five 
fathoms. 

On the following day, December 26th, there 
was an exciting chase and capture. Early in 
the morning, while in Latitude 28° north, and 
Longitude 93° 15' west, a sail was discovered, 
and the steamer was promptly headed toward 



On the Enemy's Coast 155 

it. There was nothing unusual in sighting a 
vessel in that part of the Gulf, but the in- 
structions of the Department, to speak to 
every craft sighted, were imperative. As the 
Rhode /s/and g3iined upon the stranger, it was 
seen that she was a schooner, and from her 
extraordinary efforts to increase her speed the 
belief prevailed that she was a Confederate 
blockade-runner. The Rhode Island was 
cleared for action, and the men were sent to 
quarters. In a short time the Union vessel 
ran alongside of the schooner, and firing a 
shot across her bow gave her the order to 
heave-to. This was done with evident reluc- 
tance on the part of the stranger's people, and 
on boarding she was found to be the Confed- 
erate schooner Venus, from Point Isabel, 
Texas, bound for Franklin, Va., laden with 
lead, copper, tin, and wool. The commander 
and crew of the Venus were transferred to the 
Rhode Island, and a prize crew under the com- 
mand of Master William Williams being sent 
aboard, the Venus was ordered to Ship Island. 
That night, the weather being heavy, the 
Rhode Island circled round and round until 
daylight, when she put into Galveston and 
supplied the Santee and the bark Midnight. 



156 The Old Navy. 

Lieutenant John E. Hart, Paymaster Augus- 
tus H. Oilman, Acting Master Rogers, and 
Midshipman Miller were put aboard the for- 
mer, and Lieutenant James Edward Jouett 
[the present Rear-Admiral Jouett] came 
aboard as a passenger to join their ship, the 
Mo)itgoniery, which was met the following day, 
when Commander T. Danah Shaw and Lieut. 
Charles Hunter came on board as passengers. 

While in sight of Ship Island, on her return 
trip, Lieutenant Trenchard notes that he met 
the De Soto, towing the French war-steamer 
Nidan : " that she had accidentally got a-foul 
of and injured very badly." At Pensacola the 
Rhode Island received on board, as passengers, 
Commander James Alden, Lieutenant Samuel 
R. Knox, several officers from the Cuyler, 
six Confederate deserters, and six discharged 
Union soldiers. At this time Fort Pickens 
was keeping up an animated fire on a small 
Confederate steamer near the Navy Yard, 
which had ventured within range. The Con- 
federate batteries promptly responded, and 
for a few minutes there was a lively but harm- 
less cannonading. 

Touching at the usual ports, the Rhode 
Island supplied the vessels at those points 



On the Enemy's Coast 157 

and arrived at Key West, January 6, 1862. 
While at Tampa, two days before, Felix Mc- 
Cann, a seaman who had lost his mind by 
sickness, jumped overboard, but a boat-party 
being promptly lowered, he was rescued. From 
Key West the Rhode Island made her way rap- 
idly North, supplying the Bienville, off St. 
John's Bar, her commander. Captain Steed- 
man, breakfasting with Lieutenant Trenchard. 

Stopping at Port Royal, Lieutenant Trench- 
ard called on Flag-Officer Dupont, and then 
went on shore to visit the fort on Hilton Head. 
After enjoying the magnificent view afforded 
at this point, Lieutenant Trenchard visited the 
little church and the cemetery, and remarked 
on the "horrid acts of vandalism, its dese- 
cration by tearing up its pews and breaking in 
a tomb, and its sad appearance." While at 
this place the Rhode Islafid's sister ship, the 
Connecticut, Capt. Maxwell Woodhull, arrived 
on her trip South. 

Continuing northward, the Rhode Island 
passed a number of Union warships from 
which she took mails. At Hampton Roads 
she met the venerable frigate Constitution, 
which came into port with two thousand sol- 
diers aboard, who on passing the Rhode Island 



158 The Old Navy. 

gave three hearty cheers. Thus, even in her 
old age, grand Old Ironsides showed that she 
had not outlived her usefulness. Trenchard's 
experiences with the dvistitution had been of 
the most agreeable nature. It was on August 
6, 1838, while at Pensacola, that he received 
from Captain James Mcintosh, then command- 
ing the historic frigate, the following letter of 
dismissal : 'Tt affords me pleasure to bear 
testimony to your correct and gentlemanly 
deportment while under my command, and 
you have my best wishes for your safe return 
to your friends, and for your advancement in 
your professional pursuits." Ten years later 
young Trenchard was one of the survivors of 
the surveying vessel IVas/ihtgiofi, wrecked on 
the coast of North Carolina in 1846, and was 
rescued by the ConstittUion. Some of the 
men wounded in the battle of Bull Run were 
brought aboard the RJiodc Islaiid for trans- 
portation North. Among them were Dr. King, 
of Newport, and his son, just graduated from 
college, who had enlisted as a private in 
Sprague's R. I. artillery. Instead of going to 
New York this trip, the RJiodc Island made 
for Philadelphia. William E, Jackson was the 
pilot whom Lieutenant Trenchard took aboard 



On the Enemy's Coast. 159 

at Cape Henlopen. Off Newcastle, the engines 
were stopped so as to give time for sheathing 
the bow, as a protection against the ice which 
filled the river at that time. 

It is difficult for men having permanent 
homes, and whose occupations do not require 
prolonged absences, to appreciate the joy at- 
tending a sailor's return from a voyage and 
finding his family safe and well, especially when 
he has been exposed not only to the perils of 
the sea, but to the attacks of a daring and skilful 
enemy. No harm can be done at this late 
day in divulging one of the secrets of the naval 
service during the Civil War. It has been a 
rule of long standing, that no officer in his pri- 
vate correspondence shall divulge the impor- 
tant occurrences that take place aboard his 
vessel, or give information of her intended 
movements. This rule was rigidly enforced 
during the Civil War, as newspaper correspon- 
dents swarmed everywhere, and its strict ob- 
servance would have prevented our officers 
from informing their families at which port the 
ship would stop on their return trip. 

The vessels of the United States Navy 
returning North from 1 861-1865 remained in 
port only a short time, and were hurried off to 



i6o The Old Navy. 

sea, so that a few days meant a great deal to 
them. Some of the officers, whose names will 
not be mentioned, evaded this rule in a harm- 
less way by a secret code with their families. 
For instance, when the officer learned that his 
ship was to return to Boston, instead of 
New York (the port from which they sailed , 
they telegraphed to their families at the first 
opportunity the seemingly insignificant dis- 
patch, " All 's well." But in the family code 
it read : " Our ship will return to Boston. Be 
there when we arrive." Or, if Philadelphia 
was to be the return port, the message might 
have been, " In best of health," which being 
interpreted meant, " Go to Philadelphia." 

It has not been said that Lieutenant 
Trenchard employed such a code, but the 
Rhode Island left New York on this trip South 
December 5, 1861, and when she reached 
the Navy Yard at Philadelphia, January 17, 
1862, on her return trip we find the fact re- 
corded in Lieutenant Trenchard's journal, as 
follows : " Reached the Navy Yard at Philadel- 
phia at 4 P.M. and took tea at home, and finding 
all well, for which and my safe return to them 
I feel more grateful to the Kind Giver of all 
good things than I am able to express, and I 



On the Enemy's Coast. i6i 

think each returning voyage should re-awaken 
in me thanksgiving and praise for continued 
blessings and favors." 

The care taken by the Government during 
the war to keep the movements of its vessels 
secret, was shown when the Rhode Island 
was at Philadelphia. Several Union vessels 
were captured in the course of the war by dar- 
ing bands of Confederates who had learned 
of their intended movements. The capture of 
the Rhode Island, with her invaluable cargo 
of fresh provisions, would have been a more seri- 
ous loss to the blockading squadrons than the 
capture of one of the gunboats. The Govern- 
ment at first was to a considerable extent sus- 
picious of its own men. The news of more 
than one important expedition had been for- 
warded to the leaders of the Confederacy by 
some traitor wearing the blue, and the depart- 
ment was constantly in fear of a repetition of 
this treachery. With a view of throwing such 
miscreants off the scent, orders were tele- 
graphed to the Rhode Island, January i 7, 1862, 
to sail for Boston, but on the following day the 
orders were secretly revoked, and on F'ebruary 
5th, Lieutenant Trenchard began his fifth trip 
South. Rear Admiral Dupont followed this 



1 62 The Old Navy. 

up with this note : " You will not mention your 
destination or its object to any one on your 
ship or to any one off Charleston, as I desire 
it should not be known to any one but the 
Senior officer present." 

The minute care with which his instructions 
were made out showed how important the 
Government considered the service. On 
February ist the following orders were sent 
to Lieutenant Trenchard : 

" Febri'ary I, 1862. 

*' On your next trip you will supply all vessels 
belonging to the North and South Atlantic, 
and Gulf-blockaded squadrons which you may 
fall in with south of Cape Hatteras, giving 
them such stores as they may need in moderate 
quantities, and will furnish fresh beef and vege- 
tables for their officers and men, not exceed- 
ing a three days' supply going out. After 
supplying the last vessel on the outward trip, 
the paymaster will estimate the quantity of 
fresh beef and vegetables remaining, and the 
commanding officer will direct the same to be 
apportioned and delivered as equally as possi- 
ble to the different vessels which will probably 
need supplies on the return trip. Moderate 
quantities of ice may be furnished the vessels 



On the Enemy's Coast. 163 

without charge, care being taken that sufficient 
be kept to preserve the beef. The bread in 
your cargo will be issued to vessels needing it, 
but not landed until your return to Key West. 
H. Bridge, Chief of the Bureau" 

The Rhode Island left Philadelphia, Feb- 
ruary 5th, with a larger supply of provisions 
than usual. Touching at Hampton Roads 
and Hatteras Inlet she, on the night of Feb- 
ruary 8th, while near Ocracoke Inlet, began 
firing rockets and burning night-signals which 
were finally answered by the United States 
steamer State of Georgia, which vessel was 
supplied with fresh provisions. The United 
States bark Rest/ess was supplied off Bull's Bay, 
February loth, and at noon the squadron 
blockading Charleston received its quota of 
fresh provisions. On the same day chase was 
given to a suspicious sail, but on boarding it 
was found to be the schooner Be// Pec/z from 
Hilton Head for New York in ballast. While 
at Port Royal Lieutenant Trenchard notes 
that besides supplying the F/orida, the Sus- 
queJianna and the Moliicaii, he also furnished 
" the marine battalion with fresh provisions." 

As the Rhode Is/and was leaving Stono 



1 64 The Old Navy. 

Inlet on the night of February 12th, a sail 
was discovered on the port tack, standing for 
the land. Lieutenant Trenchard notes : " As 
the stranger was off the inlet at the time, it 
was reasonable to suppose that the vessel was 
attempting to run the blockade. We promptly 
gave chase and steamed up to the highest 
point consistent with safety. Finding that the 
steamer was gaining on her but slowly, the 
schooner, after half an hour, was fired at from 
one of our forward guns with the intention of 
bringing her to. This had the desired effect, 
for she tacked, showed her light and stood for 
us. Upon boarding her, she proved to be the 
United States ship Onward attached to the 
blockade off Saint Simons. She should have 
run for us soon as we hove in sight instead of 
running away ; an extraordinary way of con- 
ducting operations ! Her commander threat- 
ened, that if we had fired another shot he would 
have returned it." Lieutenant Trenchard 
concludes rather testily *' he declined receiving 
supplies." On the following day the Rhode 
Islaiid fell in with and supplied the United 
States steamer Bienville. Commander Charles 
Steedman came aboard the Rhode Island and 
breakfasted with Lieutenant Trenchard and 



Oil the Enemy's Coast. 165 

also reported, " having been compelled to fire 
a shot to get the Onward to come within 
communicating distance only a day or two 
ago." 

Among other vessels boarded by the Rhode 
Island at this point and at Key West was the 
steamer Saxon off Carrysford Reef from the 
Charleston Navy Yard laden with Government 
stores bound for Ship Island. February 17th 
was spent at Key West, and being the anni- 
versary of Lieutenant Trenchard's wife's birth- 
day, he celebrated the occasion by giving a 
dinner-party aboard his ship. At eight o'clock 
in the evening, February 19th, the Rhode 
Island anchored off Cedar Keys. Rockets 
were sent up, a gun was fired, coston signals 
were burned, the Rhode Isla?zd's number, 333, 
was displayed, and everything was done to at- 
tract the attention of the blockading vessels. 
The signal was answered, but no other demon- 
stration was made. 

A few extracts from the journal will give an 
idea of this service. 

Lieutenant Trenchard notes : 

" Thursday, February 20, 1862. 

" Squally weather, with occasional showers 
of rain, with thick weather during the early 



i66 The Old Navy. 

part of the day. Latter part more pleasant. 
Got under way, and stood nearer in-shore. 
Discovered the United States steamer Tacoma 
at anchor in-shore of us, and at meridian Lieu- 
tenant Grossman and Mr. Potter came out with 
two boats to receive their supplies, and then 
returned, taking Mr. Hennessy, paymaster, 
who came out to join the Tacoma. At 2.40 
P.M. got under way for St. Marks." 

" Friday, February 21, 1862. 

"Wind from the north and east and cloudy, 
with rain during the night. At 12.40 a.m. an- 
chored off St. Marks, and sent up two rock- 
ets which were not answered. Got under way 
soon after daylight, and made the United 
States steamer Mo)ita2ik. Stood for her, and 
reached her at 7.20 a.m., and soon afterward 
supplied her and stood for Dog Island, an- 
choring off there at i p.m. The United States 
steamer Saga^itore came out. At 2. 10 p.m. sup- 
plied her, and at 3 p.m. left for Appalachicola, 
arriving here at 7 p.m. Made fast to the United 
States ship Marion ; supplied her as well as a 
bark. Gave the Marion one of our quarter 
boats, and left at 9.50 p.m." 

The Rhode Island arrived off Pensacola 
February 22d, when she, with the other Union 



On the Enemy's Coast. 167 

ships off that port, fired a salute in honor of 
Washington's Birthday. The next day she 
arrived at Ship Island, and anchored near the 
Hartford, Lieutenant Trenchard calling on 
Flag-Officer Farragut and Flag-Officer Wil- 
liam B. McKean. The Union squadron at 
this place consisted of the Hartford, the Niag- 
ara, the New Lojtdon, the Nightingale, the South 
Carolina, the Water Witch, the Pampiro, and 
the Sciota. The Rhode Island took on board 
the cargo of the prize schooner /. G. McNeil, 
which consisted of tobacco and coffee. 

At 4.50 A.M., the people in the Union fleet 
discovered a schooner which, from her peculiar 
action, was thought to be a blockade runner. 

Lieutenant Trenchard notes : " We made 
the schooner on the port quarter, apparently 
running out from the Pass. We got under 
way as rapidly as possible and gave chase, los- 
ing sight of her for a time, but regaining it 
soon after daylight in-shore of us. The Wi- 
nona also joined in the pursuit of the schooner. 
The Brooklyn had got under way, and was di- 
rected by signal to chase to the east. The 
order was at once obeyed. But the chase 
proved to be a tender attached to the squad- 
ron called the Guard.'' 



i68 The Old Navy. 

While passing Galveston on the night of 
February 27th, the gallant Rhode Islanders 
were again thrown into a fever of anticipated 
battle by the discovery of lights in-shore of 
them, " like those of a steamer." The men 
were quickly sent to quarters, and every prep- 
aration was made to add another to the long 
list of glorious naval victories for the Stars 
and Stripes. But, on closer examination, the 
Rhode Islanders were chacjrined on findinof 
out that the lights were not those of a steamer 
at all, but were beacon-lights on shore. 

Taking aboard some prisoners from the 
United States barks, Arthur diud Midnight, off 
Aransas Pass, February 28th, the Rhode /$•/- 
^;^^ continued on her course for the Rio Grande, 
arriving there on the evening of the same day, 
and finding the United States sloop-of-war 
Portsmoitth on euard. This was the lono-est 
trip the supply-steamer had yet made, having 
covered three thousand miles in her passage 
from New York and skirtino- the entire sea- 
coast of the rebellinof States. 

Taking on board seventeen prisoners, two 
invalids, a quantity of sugar and tobacco which 
the Portsinottth had captured, the Rhode Island 
began her return voyage March ist. Keeping 



On the Enemy's Coast. 169 

the Texan coast from three to five miles dis- 
tant, the steamer touched at Galveston, Sabine 
Pass, and on March 3d supplied the Hatteras, 
Commander George F. Emmons. On the 
next day a number of prisoners were taken 
aboard from the De Soto. The usual supplies 
were furnished to the blockading squadrons 
off the Passes of the Mississippi. 

Off Ship Island Lieutenant Trenchard 
notes : *' The remains of the late Paymaster, 
Charles E. Hammond, of the Sciota, were 
brought on board to be taken home. This 
gentleman was accidentally killed by his re- 
volver going off in his own hands, inflicting a 
wound which proved to be fatal. The death 
of this estimable gentleman has been greatly 
deplored by all who knew him, and to whom 
he had warmly attached himself by his true 
piety and manliness of character." Under the 
same date Lieutenant Trenchard notes : " Paid 
a visit to my friend, Commander James Alden, 
of the Richmond, and met Lieutenant Charles 
Hunter, who came out in the Richmond to 
join the Montgomery. 

Off Pensacola the Rhode Island supplied the 
Mississippi and received the mails from Fort 
Pickens. Shortly after midnight, March 13th, 



I/O The Old Navy. 

just after the Rhode Island had left Key West 
north bound, she spoke the schooner Nar- 
ragansett of Fall River from Philadelphia with 
coal, and at daybreak the bark R. R. Walker, 
of Boston, nine days from Cienfuegos for New 
York laden with sugar, and the British brig Ann 
yohnson of and for Greenock from Matanzas. 
While endeavoring to run into Fernandina, 
March 14th, the Rhode Island ran aground but 
soon afterward succeeded in getting off. She 
then dropped anchor, but in swinging around 
in the strong tide the ship came about with 
so much force that the shoe of the fore foot 
was carried away. Early on the morning of 
March 15th, Lieutenant Trenchard breakfasted 
with Flag-Officer Dupont aboard the Wabash 
at St. Augustine. On the same day John 
Crawford an ordinary seaman of the Rhode 
Island died. Funeral services were held over 
his remains the next day when the ship reached 
Hampton Roads where they were taken ashore 
and buried. Touching at Port Royal, where 
she took aboard the mails, the Rhode Island 
passed Cape Hatteras, March 17th, and arrived 
at Hampton Roads eight days after the fear- 
ful experience of the Union fleet with the 
ironclad Merritjiac. 



On the Enemy's Coast. 171 

The following were the officers of the Rhode 
Island in 1862 : 

Commander, Stephen Decatur Trenchard ; 
Acting Masters, William Williams, T. N. Myer; 
Acting Ensigns, Samuel H. Field, Albert 
Taylor; Paymaster, Richard Hall Douglass; 
Assistant Surgeon, Samuel G. Webb ; Acting 
First Assistant Engineer, John F. McCutchen ; 
Acting Third Assistant Engineer, George H. 
Rutter ; Engineers, Joseph C. Lavis, Green- 
ville Lavis, Anthony French, Isaac C. Marsh ; 
Acting Masters' Mates, E. W. Watson, Lemuel 
Pope, William H. H. Stevens, Daniel R. 
Brown, and William Rogers ; Captain's Clerk, 
F. C. T. Beck ; Paymaster's Clerk, Frank H. 
Deal. 





CHAPTER XIII. 



AN EXPERIENCE WITH THE " MERRIMAC. 



IT was on her sixth trip South that the 
Rhode Island had an exciting experience 
with the famous Confederate ironclad Merri- 
mac. The Rhode Island left Philadelphia 
April 5th, arriving at Hampton Roads two 
days later. At this time the dreaded Merri- 
mac was expected any moment down Elizabeth 
River, and Lieutenant Trenchard received 
orders from Flao^-Officer Goldsborouijh to be 
prepared for her. Rear-Admiral Thomas 
Stowell Phelps, of the United States Navy, has 
furnished the writer an interestinor account of 
the preparations made by the Rhode Island 2ind 
other Union vessels in Hampton Roads at that 
time to attack the Mcrri^nac. Rear-Admiral 
Phelps was present at the time. 

" The results of the actions on the 8th and 
172 



Experience with the ** Merrimac." 173 

9th of March, 1862, having conclusively de- 
monstrated the impotency of shells and solid 
shot against the iron-clad enemy, determined 
the Flag-Officer to subject the chances of 
victory to the crushing power of the vessels 
composing the United States fleet in Hampton 
Roads, and only in case of failure by impact 
were guns of any description to enter into the 
problem, beyond attending to her consorts, 
numbering six Confederate steamers of various 
sizes and armaments. The apparently reliable 
information received from Norfolk through 
public prints, refugees, and private sources, 
'that as soon as the repairs of the Merrimac 
were completed Commodore Tattnall would 
immediately proceed to attack or disperse the 
Federal fleet before Old Point, and perhaps 
capture Fortress Monroe,' confirmed the Flag- 
Ofiicer in his plan of attack ; and in its execu- 
tion every available resource at his command 
was centred in the one great object — the Merri- 
mac s utter ruin ; and under no consideration 
were any side issues detrimental to success to 
be permitted to interfere with the accomplish- 
ment of a project of such vital importance : 
hence the capture of three small merchant 
vessels by the enemy was permitted, as any 



174 The Old Navy. 

preventive effort in that direction would have 
seriously militated against the inaugurated 
scheme, and probably rendered it abortive. 

" During the short period intervening be- 
tween March 8th and April 9th, the Navy 
Department had not been idle, and having 
strengthened the fleet to the extent of its 
ability, the Flag-Officer, by the 9th of April, 
was prepared to meet his antagonists with a 
force numbering about twenty-five unarmored 
vessels, composed in part of the Minnesota, the 
Siisqitehanna, the Dakota, the Seminole, the 
San Jacinto, the Octorara, the Wachusett. the 
Aroostook, the Maratanza, with others, including 
several ninety-day gunboats, and the chartered 
steamers Vanderbilt, Oriole, Aroga, Rhode 
Island, Illinois, Ericson, and three others of 
approximate tonnage (all ocean steamships), 
besides several others of lighter draft. In addi- 
tion to these were the Monitor and the Stevens, 
the latter a small, experimental iron-clad boat, 
carrying one heavy gun. There was also the 
Baltimore, a. light-river side-wheeler of great 
speed and curved bow, drawing only six inches 
forward and six feet aft, held in the front for 
the purpose of being forced upon one of the 
nearly submerged ends of the Merrimac, if 



Experience with the " Merrimac." 175 

possible, either forward or abaft the super- 
structure, according to circumstances, in order 
to render the ironclad immovable, and while 
thus held she was to be rammed by vessels of 
the Union fleet. 

" The fleet vv^as anchored in two columns, the 
leading ships, the Minnesota and the Vanderbili, 
about one and a half miles eastward from Fort 
Monroe, and the others in close order accord- 
ing to their size and power ; the right wing 
being wholly made up of merchant vessels, 
and the left wing of National ships. The 
Monitor and Stevens, anchored before Hamp- 
ton Harbor, were not to engage in the action 
unless the wooden ships failed in their mission, 
being held in reserve to complete the work 
with their ordnance, if necessary. None of 
the attacking vessels had their bows or cut- 
waters encased in iron, as many believed, nor 
were they in any way prepared for ramming, 
other than having their engines and boilers in 
good condition, and the steering apparatus 
protected by bedding ; excepting the Vander- 
bilty which had received a half-inch iron plate 
on the face of the stem, her bows strengthened 
in-board with fore and aft pieces of stout tim- 
bers, and her wheel barricaded with hammocks. 



176 The Old Navy. 

" The striking force in tons had been calcu- 
lated for the principal vessels, and the Vander- 
bilt, capable of being forced up to eighteen 
knots an hour, proving the most formidable, 
was selected to lead in the attack, followed 
by the Minnesota and the others in succession, 
according to their positions in the column. 
To avoid unnecessary complications and for 
the safety of those concerned, the Flag-Officer 
directed that no transport or merchant-trader 
should go or anchor beyond Hampton Harbor. 
But in violation of this order, during the night 
of April loth and nth, two brigs and one 
schooner stole over to Newport News and 
cast anchor near a place called Beaches Land- 
ing, apparently about half-way between the 
former place and Old Point ; and the next 
morning, on the appearance of the enemy, they 
were run aground and abandoned, being soon 
afterward taken possession of by the Confed- 
erate gunboats Jamestown and Raleigh, and 
towed to Norfolk unmolested, for reasons al- 
ready given. The commander-in-chief firmly 
believed that Commodore Tattnall, ignoring 
the inefficient guns of the fort, would immedi- 
ately proceed to execute the object of his ap- 
pearing in the Roads, namely, * the destruction 



Experience- with the " Merrimac." 177 

or dispersion of the vessels arrayed against 
him/ and when the Merrimac had reached 
the point where the heavy ships could operate 
without risk of grounding, the machinery for 
testing the weighty experiment, inducing such 
herculean preparations, was to be set in motion. 
" The morning of April i ith dawned excep- 
tionally fine, with a gentle breeze stirring from 
the southwest, and the tide running at a mod- 
erate ebb, when at 7.45 a.m. the quiet pervading 
the fleet was unexpectedly broken by the an- 
nouncement from the lookout on the Minne- 
sota s mizzen cross-trees, ' The Merrifnac is 
coming out, sir.' Instantly the signal ' Prepare 
for action ' was made, quickly followed by one 
to ' Slip cables ' ; and in a few minutes the two 
ponderous columns were under way, with en- 
gines lazily turning, slowly drifting eastward 
until sufficient space had been acquired for the 
ships to deliver their heaviest blows, where 
they were held, waiting for the enemy to leave 
the shoals a couple of miles behind, where the 
serious work was to begin. The easterly drift 
already mentioned impressed our opponents 
with the belief that the Union fleet deliberately 
retreated toward the Capes to avoid an en- 
counter for the supremacy of the Roads. 



17^^ The Old Navy. 

" Accompanied by six satellites the monster 
turtleback approached, belchino huge volumes 
of inky smoke from her solitary funnel, and 
with her massive superstructure looming 
through the haze, she presented an object by 
no means inviting for restful contemplation, 
and on emerging from the Norfolk Channel 
she appeared to head for the fleet. Some fif- 
teen minutes later, while Flag-Officer Golds- 
borough was impatiently waiting for her to 
reach a position wliere he could safely 'let 
slip the dogs of war,' with starboard helm she 
turned westward, and after some manceuvrina- 
became stationary, in apparent proximity to 
Middle Ground, near the place where the 
Minnesota had been decidedly grounded by 
her pilot on the 8th of the preceding month, 
while en route to succor the Congress and the 
Cumberland. In this position it was impos- 
sible for the Union fleet to attack. 

" The Alem'niac, seemingly at anchor, re- 
mained in this place until 4.30 p.m., when, after 
firincr one shot toward Old Point, she with her 
consorts retired toward her moorings above 
Craney Island, where the intervening lands hid 
them from view, enabling the vessels of the 
fleet to regain the anchorage abandoned earlier 



Experience with the " Merrimac." 179 

in the day. And perhaps it was quite as well 
that the placid waters of Hampton Roads had 
neither been crimsoned with the blood of hos- 
tile contestants nor encumbered with the wrecks 
of opposing ships. The boats of an P^nglish 
and a Trench man-of-war anchored northward 
of Newport News shoal were observed to 
communicate with the Merrimac, and about 
2 P.M. the French ship weii^hed, and running 
to leeward of the fleet, her commander boarded 
the Mmnesota, and in conversation with the 
Flag-Officer, remarked that during his inter- 
view with Commodore Tattnall, that officer 
had stated 'that he perfectly understood Golds- 
borough's plans and did not propose to subject 
his ships to certain destruction ' ; thus ex- 
plaining why he refrained from attempting to 
accomplish the object of his visit to the Roads. 
" The following day, about 9 a.m., the Mer- 
rimac was again reported as being under way, 
and on her nearing Craney Island with her 
consorts, preparations for her reception were 
quickly made, when turning around she soon 
disappeared from view, the condition of her 
hull and engines, as subsequently learned, mak- 
ing it necessary for her to return to Norfolk 
for repairs. On their completion a month 



i8o The Old Navy. 

later, her career suddenly ended in flame and 
smoke by the agency of her own crew." 

Lieutenant Trenchard in his journal, speak- 
ing of this affair, says: " Friday, April II, 1862: 
Wind light from the northwest, clear and pleas- 
ant. Latter part of the day the wind was from 
the northeast. At half-past seven in the 
morning, the flagship made a general signal. 
' Prepare for action.' We beat to quarters, 
got under way, and awaited the orders of the 
Flag-Of^cer in company with the other vessels 
of the fleet. The Mcrriviac, together with 
two larofe Confederate steamers and some four 
or five tuofs, came down below Sewell's Point, 
and kept that position during the day, captur- 
ing two vessels and taking them up to Nor- 
folk. 

"Saturday, April 12th : First part, light airs 
from the north and pleasant ; the latter part 
of the day the w^ind was from the northeast, 
moderate and clear. At 8.30 a.m. the flagship 
made signal ' Prepare for action.' We beat to 
quarters and made every preparation for a 
battle. Got under way and awaited further 
orders. About 10 a.m. the Flag-Ofhcer made 
signal to proceed on our voyage. Ran up to 
the landing opposite Fort Monroe to com- 



Experience with the " Merrimac." i8i 

municate and receive the mails. At 1 1.20 a.m. 
stood down the harbor under a full head of 
steam. While we were waiting for our boat 
we had a good view of the Merrimac and the 
two other steamers off Sewell's Point." 

On April 8th, while the Rhode Island was 
in Hampton Roads, the bark Godfrey, of New 
York, parted her cable, and being caught in 
the stronof tide came in collision with the tjun- 
boat, destroying her starboard quarter-boat. 

After taking on board a new propeller 
weighing six thousand pounds for the Mer- 
cediia, and a large quantity of nine- and eleven- 
inch shrapnel, the Rhode Island Xeh Hampton 
Roads on her trip South. On the second day 
out she boarded the English bark /. K. L., 
and the next day the fane Savage, of London. 
Amid squalls and frequent showers of rain the 
Rhode Island supplied the ships and delivered 
the mails to the blockading squadron off 
Charleston. While off Wassaw Sound a sin- 
gular coincidence happened. The United 
States gunboat Wamsutta, Lieutenant-Com- 
mander Semmes, a brother of the celebrated 
Raphael Semmes, came out and received sup- 
plies from the Rhode Island for the United 
States war-vessel Alabama — not the Confed- 



1 82 The Old Navy. 

erate cruiser in which Raphael Semmes made 
himself famous, but a United States vessel of 
that name. Lieutenant Trenchard also notes 
that " the steamer F/or/da came out and com- 
numicateil with us." The /'yo/v'^/^? also was the 
name of a famous Confederate cruiser. 

On the nioht of April i8th, while off the 
bar of P^ernandina, Lieutenant Trenchard fell 
in with a strange vessel which he atterward 
believed to have been a Confederate cruiser. 
In his journal under date of April i8th he 
says: "At 3.15 a.m. got under way and at 
6.25 A.M. anchored off the bar of F'ernandina. 
Sent a boat in to comnumicatc; with the shore 
and to land the mails. The United States 
steamer Paunice sent a boat out for her sup- 
plies. The United States schooner Hope 
came owl and we supplied her, and at 2 p.m. 
got under way. At 8.10 p.m. we anchored off 
St. Augustine, hred a gun and a rocket besides 
coston signals. A vessel of war inside the bar 
made her number commencing with No. 7. 
Coidd not make out wliat vessel it mio-ht be, 
but supposed that one of the vessels from 
Mosquito Inlet had come up. Signaled her 
to send boats for her supplies, wiiich was 
answered and the vessel telegraphed, * Have 



Experience with the "Merrimac." 183 

you any communications for me ? ' vSupposing 
it might be the /hidrews or the Penguin, the 
reply was in the affirmative. The vessel then 
signaled, * I will send a boat.' After waiting 
over two hours and no boat coming, I signaled, 
' Ready to proceed ; send boat for letters.' 
The vessel replied by burning a number of 
coston signals from which I could only make 
out the first, 'no boat.' I dispatched a boat 
with the mail in charge of the executive officer, 
Mr. Pennell, with directions not to cross the 
bar if the sea was breaking upon it. He pro- 
ceeded in and when within hail of the vessel, 
finding that they were going to quarters and 
fearing that they might fire into the boat, 
concluded, upon seeing the signal for the 
recall of the boat, to return. Mr. Pennell 
reported that it was perfectly smooth upon 
the bar, and that boats could have crossed it 
without difficulty. As the Rhode Island had 
been detained some five hours I concluded to 
continue on my course." 

While standing down the Florida coast on 
the following night, the Rhode Island made the 
lights of a steamer directly ahead, and almost 
at the same instant the stranger seemed to 
have discovered the Rhode Island^ for she 



1 84 The Old Navy. 

put about and cautiously drew near. Equal 
caution was shown by the RJiocic Island, for 
the result of the action between the Monitor 
and the Merrimac had spread a degree of dis- 
trust all along the Confederate seaboard, and 
it was not known when or where these new 
sea monsters might appear. As it was im- 
possible to make out the stranger's number, 
the suspicions of the Rhode Island' s people 
were increased. Gradually the two vessels 
drew near, each ready to fire at a moment's 
notice. Finally, when within hailing distance, 
the stranger was found to be the United States 
warship Santiago de Cuba. Giving her fresh 
provisions the Rhode Island continued on her 
course South. Just as she was nearing Key 
West she met the Connecticut on her return 
trip and was boarded for news. 

While entering St. Mark's Harbor, April 
26th, the Rhode Island met with an accident 
that nearly ended her useful career. Lieuten- 
ant Trenchard says in his journal: "At ten 
o'clock got under way for St. Mark's. A large 
ship is in sight, to the south, probably the 
National Gtiard. At 5 p.m. made the land 
off St. Mark's and about an hour afterward 
sighted the bark Kingfisher, At 6.40 p.m. 



Experience 'with the " Merrimac." 185 

anchored in four fathoms of water about two 
and a half miles from her. At 7 p.m. the 
pilot of the Kin)^ fisher, John Welles, came 
on board to take the steamer in. At 7.20 p.m. 
got under way and went ahead slowly. At 
7.40 P.M. the ship struck in fourteen feet of 
water on a knoll, the lead indicating just be- 
fore striking a quarter less four. Sent a boat 
out to sound and found the water, with the 
exception of the midships, varying from sixteen 
to twenty-one and a half feet. The ship at 
the time was in charge of the pilot. At 10 
P.M., the tide having risen, we backed the 
steamer off the shoals and anchored in four 
fathoms of water." 

Stopping at the blockaded ports, the Rhode 
Island varied her usual course by going up the 
Mississippi River, New Orleans having fallen 
after Farragut's successful passage of the forts 
only a few days before. The journal says : 
"At 5.30 A.M. got under way and stood up 
the Mississippi River. At 8 a.m. came up 
with the United States ship Portsmouth at 
anchor six miles above Pilot Town. Trans- 
ferred Acting-Master Richmond, and the prize 
crew with him, to the Portsmouth. At 10.15 
A.M. passed the gunboats Cayuga and Wissa- 



1 86 The Old Navy. 

hickon, the former bound North, with dispatches 
bearing upon the capture of New Orleans. 
At I 1.30 A.M. passed Forts Jackson and 
St. Philip in our possession. At i p.m. an- 
chored off the Quarantine ground and sup- 
plied the Mississippi, which vessel received 
us with her band playing " Yankee Doodle." 
There was a large number of troops concen- 
trated at Quarantine en route up the river. 
At 2 P.M. got under way, and at 7 p.m. 
anchored for the nitrht. 

o 

" Thursday, May i, 1S62. 

" At 4.30 A.M. got under way and stood up 
the river. At 7 a.m. came up with the gun- 
boat Owasco on shore. Anchored so as to aid 
her in getting off. At 1 1.30 a.m. succeeded 
in towinor her off, after makinof two or three 
attempts and parting our hawsers, etc., and 
then stood up for New Orleans, anchoring off 
the city at 1.30 p.m. Supplied the United 
States steamer Harriet Lane and she pro- 
ceeded soon afterward down the river. The 
steamer Diana, in charge of my nephew. Mid- 
shipman Grafton, came up the river with 
troops, a large number of which landed just 
before sunset, General Butler taking posses- 
sion of the city of New Orleans, and releasing 



Experience with the " Merrimac." 187 

the marines from the squadron that had held 
it after its surrender to Flag-Officer Farragut. 

" New Orleans, Friday, May 2d. 

" SuppHed a large number of vessels with 
fresh provisions, etc. The following vessels 
were off New Orleans : the Hartford, the 
Feusacola, the Richmond, the Harriet Lane, 
the Sciota, the Katahdin, and the Westfield. 
At 5.50 P.M. got under way and stood up the 
river in order to turn round. In doing this 
we grounded on the Algiers side of the river. 
At 7 P.M. the steamer Star came over and 
attempted to tow us off, and failing to do so, at 
8.30 P.M. she cast off and made fast to the 
levee, in doing which she caught her port 
wheel and remained there until the following 
morning. 

" Saturday, May 3d. 

" At 8 A.M. succeeded in getting the Star 
(alias St. diaries) clear of the levee. The coal 
barge Tidly Robinson came up and together 
with the Star made several attempts to haul 
us off during the day. The Richmond also 
came up, but the water being too deep to 
anchor sufficiently near us, and dragging her 
anchors, she was unable to render us any as- 
sistance. Captain Alden was very much inter- 



i88 The Old Navy. 

ested and very assiduous in his efforts to get 
us off. We remained ashore until 12.45 ^-M. 
of the 6th, making daily attempts to get the 
ship off, aided by the Kensi7igton. 

" Sunday, May 4th. 

" Engaged in the mean time in lightening the 
ship, and on Tuesday the 6th, with the aid of. 
the steamer Star, or St. Charles, on the star- 
board quarter, the Katahdin and the Titlly 
Robinson on tlie port quarter, the Rhode Island 
started off at 12.45 p.m., to the extreme joy of 
everyone on board. It is impossible for me 
to express my joy and thankfulness in getting 
the steamer afloat. A sad accident occurred, 
casting a gloom on all, to one of the lighters 
containing some of our coal and a number of 
laborers employed by us. She was in tow of 
the Tnlly Robinson, contrary to my orders, and 
was unfortunately swamped and three men 
were drowned." 

The wife of one of the lost men was aboard 
the barge at the time, and the officers of the 
Rhode Island were so affected by her grief that 
they made up a purse of three hundred dollars 
for her. 

" Wkdnesday, May 7, 1862. 

"Got under way and anchored on the New 



Experience with the " Merrimac." 189 

Orleans side of the river near the levee. Was 
employed during the greater part of the day in 
getting our coal and other things on board that 
had been removed to lighten the vessel when 
getting her off the shore. Pleasant visit on 
shore with Dr. Smith and Capt. George Henry 
Preble. Visit to Mrs. General Butler at the 
St. Charles Hotel, the General's headquarters. 

" Thursday, May 8th. 

" At 1.30 P.M. got under way and proceeded 
down the river. Just before reaching Forts 
Jackson and St. Philip the Rhode Is la7zd ^diSSftd. 
a break in the levee, through which the water 
of the river was rushing in alarming quantities 
and flooding the surrounding country. It re- 
quired no little skill and steam and power to 
prevent the vessel from being carried into the 
side current, where she undoubtedly would soon 
be left high and dry on land, some yards from 
the river bank." 

Lieutenant Trenchard notes that it was an 
"exciting scene." At Pilot Town the Rhode 
Isla?id, by order of Farragut, took aboard forty- 
one Confederate prisoners, who were engaged 
in resisting the National attack. Among them 
were Com. I. K. Mitchell, Captains Beverly 
Kennon and Wilkinson, who commanded di- 



190 The Old Navy. 

visions of the Confederate naval forces, and the 
officers and crew of the ironclad Louisia^ia. 

Captain Wilkinson, the famous blockade- 
runner, writing" of his experiences in the Rhode 
hland, sa)'s : 

" We were transferred to the Rhode Island, 
bound to Fort Warren. On board of this ves- 
sel we were more completely tabooed by the 
officers than in the Colorado^ for the Rhode Isl- 
a?id was ofificered, with the exception of her 
captain, by volunteers. The harsh orders had 
been evaded on board the former vessel by old 
friends and shipmates. On board the Rhode 
Islafid the orders were strictly obeyed, much to 
our satisfaction, for we would have lost our pa- 
tience to have been interviewed by fledgling 
naval heroes. The noble commander of the 
Rhode IsIiUid most of us had known of old as a 
prim little precisian, and a great stickler for 
etiquette, and by no means a bad fellow ; but 
so strict a constructionist that he would prob- 
ably have refused to recognize his grandfather, 
if it were ao^ainst orders. But he had a humane 
disposition under his frigid exterior ; and al- 
lowed us all the comfort and privileges com- 
patible with discipline and safety. At Fort 
Warren, we were allowed, at our own expense, 



Experience with the " Merrimac." 191 

to supply our table from the Boston market, 
not only abundantly, but luxuriously, the Gov- 
ernment furnishing the usual rations, and the 
prisoners grew fat on the good fare and bra- 
cing climate." 

After their arrival at Fort Warren, both 
Mitchell and Kennon addressed letters to the 
Secretary of the Navy, Mitchell said : " I 
most emphatically assert that the Louisiana, 
when abandoned and fired by my orders, was 
not only 'not turned adrift' or intended to 
injure the United States forces, as charged by 
Commander Porter, but that she was actually 
left secured to the opposite bank of the river, 
and distant quite three fourths of a mile from 
the said forces, for the very reason they were 
flying a flag of truce, and for that reason I 
despatched the warning message to Comman- 
der Porter, respecting the magazine. That it 
is not only the right, but the duty of an officer 
to destroy public property to prevent its fall- 
ing into the hands of the enemy does not 
admit of a question ; and in addition to which, 
it must not be overlooked that the forces 
under my command flew no flag of truce, and 
that I was not in any way a party to the sur- 
render of Fort Jackson or St. Philip." He 



192 The Old Navy. 

had previously addressed a letter to the De- 
partment and forwarded it by Commander 
Trencharcl from Hampton Roads. The Sec- 
retary replied, May 29, 1862 : 

" Sir : — The explanations of Com. I. K. 
Mitchell are satisfactory, and the restrictions 
imposed on him and his associates by the De- 
partment's order of the 2d inst. will be removed, 
and they will be treated as prisoners of war. 
This does not relieve Beverly Kennon from 
the restrictions imposed on him. 

" Gideon Welles. 

'* Col. Justine Dinmick, 

Coindo-. Fo7i Warren^ 

The Secretary requested Kennon to furnish 
him with particulars of his gunboat, having 
wounded on board. In reply Kennon says: 

"When I destroyed and left the vessel which 
I had commanded on the occasion referred to, 
all the wounded men had been removed, the 
most of them lowered in boats by my own 
hantls. I was the last person to leave the 
vessel." 

The restrictions were removed from Ken- 
non, too, soon after this co.mmunication was 
received by the Secretary. 



Experience with the " Merrimac." 193 

On her return trip the Rhode Island reached 
Pensacola May loth, just in time to learn that 
the Confederates had evacuated the place. 
Lieutenant Trenchard speaks of the "sad ap- 
pearance of the Navy Yard, which had been 
fired by the Confederates, reducing it to a mass 
of ruins. The town of Warring^ton and the 
naval hospitals presented the same appear- 
ance." At Key West, Lieutenant Trenchard 
took aboard the ofificers and crew of the steamer 
Bermuda, which had been captured by the 
Mercediia. 

On Friday, May j6th, while twenty miles 
from Carrysford Reef Light, the Rhode Island 
passed the wreck of a hermaphrodite brig. 
Part of her stern and starboard quarter was 
out of the water. The vessel appeared to be 
of foreign build and measured about two hun- 
dred tons. The forward spars were new, while 
the after spars were old. From appearances 
Lieutenant Trenchard judged that she must 
have been struck by a squall and dismasted. 
Boarding the American steamer Columbia on 
the following day, Lieutenant Trenchard 
learned of the surrender of Norfolk. 

As the Rhode Island was leaving Port Royal 
she met her sister ship, the Connecticut, bound 



194 The Old Navy. 

on her Southern supply trip. About the same 
time the Rhode Island was boarded by the 
United States sX.e.2in\^v Atigicsta. Touching at 
Fort Monroe, where Lieutenant Trenchard 
visited a number of the sick and received " good 
news from home, all well," he hastened on his 
way for Boston, arriving there May 23d. 

Here the prisoners of war, under charge of 
Acting-Master Williams with a guard of ma- 
rines, were conveyed in a tug to Fort Warren 
and safely lodged there. Lieutenant Trench- 
ard says : " It is impossible to describe my 
ofreat relief and thankfulness in reachintr Bos- 
ton safely, and without having experienced any 
trouble with the prisoners over whom we had 
kept such a vigilant watch." 




CHAPTER XIV. 



LAST CRUISES AS A SUPPLY-STEAMER. 



ON June 2, 1862, Secretary Welles sent 
the following order to Lieutenant 
Trenchard making a change in the Rhode Isl- 
and's ordinary trips : " Hereafter the United 
States Steamer Rhode Island will not supply 
the vessels of the Atlantic Squadrons, and will 
touch at Port Royal only on the way to the 
Gulf Squadrons, commencing at Cape Carna- 
veral. On your return trip you will touch 
both at Port Royal and Hampton Roads, for- 
warding your mail as you do from the latter 
place to the Department. You will continue 
to bring home the sick and wounded from Port 
Royal and Hampton Roads, and from any 
other vessels for the Atlantic Squadron that 
you may communicate with. Proceed on this 

195 



196 The Old Navy. 

service as soon as the Rliodc Island \s> ready for 
sea, and enter Boston on your return. 
" I am, respectfully, 

"Your Obedient Servant, 

" Gideon Welles." 

June iith, 1862, the RJiode Island \^{x. Bos- 
ton on her seventh trip South, having on board 
two hundred seamen, and a number of acting- 
masters and mates as supernumeraries for the 
several blockading squadrons. At Hampton 
Roads, June 12th, she took on board an unusu- 
ally heavy mail and then resumed her course 
for Port Royal, boarding, on the way, the 
schooner Mary Stuart of Nassau, a prize of 
the Gem of the Sea, captured off Georgetown, 
S. C, with a cargo of oil, etc. The Mary 
Stuart was bound for New York for adjudica- 
tion. A number of other vessels also were 
boarded, but finding their papers all right, 
Lieutenant Trenchard did not detain them. 

On arriving off Charleston the Rhode Island 
exchanged signals with the United States 
steamer Alabama and the schooner Flash, and 
shortly afterward the blockading ships were 
descried off Stono Inlet. The sea was so 
heavy and the fog so dense at the time that 
Lieutenant Trenchard deemed it too hazard- 



Last Cruises as a Supply-Steamer. T97 

ous to run in, and so stood on and off, blowing 
his steam-whistle every few minutes so as to 
warn any vessel that might be coming in col- 
lision with her. On the next day the weather 
cleared, and Lieutenant Trenchard spoke the 
supply-steamer Coii7iecticut on her return trip. 
The Rhode Island then ran into Port Royal 
and anchored near the flagship Wabash. 
" Landed the mails," wrote Lieutenant Trench- 
ard ; "transferred the men and stores for the 
squadron. I dined with Flag-Officer Dupont 
and Capt. C. R. P. Rodgers, remaining with 
them until getting under way at 5.40 p.m." 

Off Mosquito Inlet, Florida, June 19th, the 
Rhode Island made her number to a steamer 
anchored within the inlet, supposed to be the 
Wyandotte. Skirting the Florida coast, two or 
three miles from land, she boarded, on June 
20th, the English brig Aujiita from Matanzas 
for Halifax, and on the following day, just 
after passing Carrysford Reef Light, the brig 
John yewett from New York to New Orleans 
was spoken. At Key West the flagship San 
yacinto of the flying squadron, Flag-Officer 
James L. Lardner, the Quaker City, the Gztard, 
the Sagamore, the Wanderer, and the Mcrce- 
dita were found. The Rhode Island left Key 



198 The Old Navy. 

West June 24th, and reached Fort Jefferson, 
Tortugas, at 1.45. Lieutenant Trenchard 
notes : " Went on shore and took a look at 
the works and found great improvement had 
taken place since my former visit." 

In order to delay the Rhode Isla7id as little 
as possible many of the war-steamers, imme- 
diately upon making the Rhode Island's num- 
ber, came out of the harbor and received their 
supplies at sea. June 28th, Lieutenant Trench- 
ard notes: " Litrht airs from the north and 
east, — clear and pleasant. At 6.30 a.m. the 
steam gunboat Yoimg Rover, came out. Sup- 
plied her, and at 7.30 a.m. parted company for 
the Western Pass of Appalachicola. On reach- 
ing the Middle Pass, found the United States 
bark / L. Davis at anchor, and she was soon 
after joined by the steam gunboat Fort Henry. 
These boats came out for supplies, and after 
receiving them we got under way for St. An- 
drews, arriving there at 8 p.m., meeting the 
schooner Sainiiel Rotan and supplying her. 
Saturday, June 28th, light airs from the south 
and west. At 5.40 a. m. made Santa Rosa 
Island Lighthouse on the starboard bow. At 
7 a.m. received a pilot and stood in and ran 
up to Pensacola, anchoring near the United 



Last Cruises as a Supply-Steamer. 199 

States ship Vincennes, off the town. Captain 
Madigan came on board and breakfasted with 
me. After breakfast I went on shore and 
called on General Arnold. Got under way at 
11.30 A.M., en route for Mobile, Lieutenant 
Crosby, U. S. A., aide to General Arnold, tak- 
ing passage with us. Spoke the schooner 
Henry Frams of Key West from Pensacola 
for New Orleans. We were compelled to fire 
a shot across her bow to brinof her to and 
show her colors." 

On Sunday, June 29th, while off Ship Island 
supplying the old sailing frigate Potomac, the 
Rhode Island was overtaken by a terrific thun- 
der storm, the lightning at times making the 
crew apprehensive for the safety of the maga- 
zine. The storm blew over, however, without 
injury to the ship. At this place Capt. Levin 
M. Powell, of the Potomac, became a passen- 
ger in the Rhode Island, bound for New 
Orleans. The naval hospital at Pilot Town 
was duly furnished with supplies, besides the 
war-vessels stationed there and at New Or- 
leans. In crossing the bar, coming out of the 
river, the Rhode Island struck ground, but sus- 
tained no serious injury. 

On the morning of July 4, 1862, the Rhode 



200 The Old Navy. 

Island won the immortal glor}' of being the 
first United States vessel to plant the Stars 
and Stripes on Texan soil after the Civil War 
broke out. On this day, the Rhode Island 
being about seventeen miles to the south and 
west of Galveston, a sail was made close in 
with the land. The Rhode Island stood toward 
her, but as soon as the character of the Union 
vessel was discovered by the stranger, she 
immediately put her helm up and ran ashore. 
The day being fine and the water smooth, the 
Rhode Island ran close in to the beach, and on 
discovering a force of cavalry and infantry on 
shore, who evidently were unloading the ves- 
sel, she opened fire with shell. This had the 
effect of putting them to flight. Three armed 
boats from the Rhode Island were then lowered 
under command of Acting-Master Pennell, 
executive officer of the Rhode Island, assisted 
by Paymaster Douglass and Engineer Mc- 
Cutchen, and pulled toward the vessel covered 
by the guns of the Rhode Island, and under in- 
structions of Lieutenant Trenchard to see if the 
vessel could be got off, and if not to destroy 
her. They succeeded in boarding her without 
molestation and found her to be the English 
schooner Richard G Br ten from Jamaica to 



Last Cruises' as a Supply-Steamer. 201 

Mata moras. A few days before she had been 
boarded by the De Soto and warned off the 
coast. Lieutenant Trenchard was of the opin- 
ion that she was a Confederate vessel, and hav- 
ing succeeded in running the blockade, changed 
her flag in Jamaica, as her papers had the ap- 
pearance of being recently made out. Mr. 
Pennell on boardinof the vessel found that she 
had bilged, and that getting her off would be 
impossible. He therefore, following his in- 
structions, filled all the boats with valuable 
drugs which constituted a large part of her 
cargo, set the vessel on fire, and returned to 
the ship. The schooner, with the balance of 
her cargo, part of which had been landed 
before the Rhode Island hove in sight, was en- 
tirely consumed. The cargo rescued, consist- 
ing of rum and sugar, was sold for $1209.78, 
the prize money amounting to $838.85. 

While the boats were away, Lieutenant 
Trenchard observed another vessel in what 
had the appearance of being a lake or lagoon, 
separated by only a narrow neck of land from 
the ocean. Wishing to destroy her if possible, 
he ordered Mr. Pennell to start again, and on 
landing, he found it possible to haul his boats 
over the sand and attack as he had the Richard 



202 The Old Navy. 

O Brie7i. The party landed, protected by the 
Rhode Island's guns, in safety, and Mr. Pennell 
planted the Stars and Stripes on Texan soil. 
But on reaching the shore he discovered the nar- 
row sand spot to be at least a mile wide, thus 
rendering their second expedition fruitless, for 
hauling boats that distance was simply an im- 
possibility, especially in an enemy's country. 
While they were ashore Lieutenant Trenchard 
discovered a company of cavalry approaching, 
but a few well-directed shells caused them to 
flee. 

After reaching Galveston the Rhode Island 
began her return trip, stopping at New Orleans 
and Mobile. At the latter port. Paymaster 
Washington Irving came on board for passage 
home. Taking aboard invalids and mails for the 
North, the Rhode /s7^«^ continued her voyage. 

On July 15th, while approaching Key West, 
Lieutenant Trenchard notes: "At 5 p.m. 
made the bark Hamilton of New York from 
Key West for Trinidad de Cuba, the captain 
of which did not show his colors until ordered, 
and then treated the boarding officer with the 
greatest indignity and disrespect. At 7 p.m. 
anchored at Key West and found that the 
steamer Connecticut had just arrived five days 



Last Cruises- as a Supply-Steamer. 203 

from New York." On July 23d, the Rhode 
Islafid passed an English bark which also re- 
fused to show her colors until a blank cartridge 
was fired at her. The Rhode Island arrived at 
Boston July 25th, when her armament was in- 
creased by two rifled i2-pounders. On July 
1 6th, Lieutenant Trenchard was promoted to 
the rank of commander. 

Taking on board two hundred seamen for 
the squadrons of Farragut and Dupont, the 
Rhode Island X^ix. Boston August 2d. On the 
third day out much excitement was occasioned 
by David A. Mentar, one of the crew, a coal- 
heaver, jumping overboard. The engines were 
promptly stopped, the life-buoy let go, boats 
were lowered, and every effort was made to 
save the unfortunate man, but in vain. He 
perished before assistance could reach him. 

At five minutes after five, on the morning 
of September 5th, while the Rhode Isla^id was 
at sea, on her voyage between Port Royal and 
Hampton Roads, on her return trip North, a 
dense volume of smoke was discovered coming 
from the port cargo room forward. Lieutenant 
Trenchard notes : " Went to quarters and after 
tracing the site of the fire introduced the hose 
and soon extinguished the flames. The fire 



204 The Old Navy. 

originated between two of the timbers abreast 
of the furnace on the port side. We beat a 
retreat at 1.30 a.m., keeping a watch near the 
place of the fire with buckets filled with water, 
in readiness to extinguish the fire should it 
break out again. It was supposed, after a 
careful examination of the place after daylight, 
that it originated by oil that had been spilt, 
which may have run in between the timbers, 
saturated shavings lodged there in building 
the vessel, and fired by the extreme heat of the 
furnace." 

The Rhode Island returned from this trip 
September loth. On September 25th, 1862, 
she left Boston on her ninth and last trip as a 
supply-vessel, having on board a large number 
of supernumerary officers for the blockading 
squadrons. At Hampton Roads Commander 
Trenchard took on board Captain Thornton 
A. Jenkins as a passenger. " At 4.45 p.m., 
October 2d, she passed Port Royal lightboat, 
entered the harbor, anchorino; near the flae- 
ship Vermont ; Captain Godon being tempo- 
rarily in command. The Wabash and several 
other vessels were in port at the time. A 
number of supernumerary officers were left on 
board the Vermont to join their respective 



Last Cruises as a Supply-Steamer. 205 

vessels, and some additional ones came on 
board for passage in this vessel. At 5.25 p.m. 
the Potomaska got under way. At 7 a.m. 
we got under way and stopped abreast of the 
Vandalia, standing in to send three men 
attached to the Octorara on board. A boat 
from the Vandaim came alongside and unfor- 
tunately got under the wheels, which turned, 
swamped and upset the boat and crew, the 
men being providentially saved." 

" At 7 A.M., October 8th," wrote Com- 
mander Trenchard, " while running from Key 
West to Cedar Keys, the Rhode Island gave 
chase to a suspicious sail. At 9.40 the chase 
hauled in for the shore and came to anchor. 
We stood in for her until shoalino- water made 
it dangerous to proceed farther, when we 
stopped the engines, fired a blank cartridge for 
her to run out, and she failing to do so we 
fired a shell ahead of her, lowered a boat, and 
sent her to board the sloop, which got under 
way. She proved to be the fishing sloop Wan- 
derer of Key West. Her commander was in- 
formed that he should have come out to us 
upon the signal having been made. By not 
doing so he had made himself liable to seizure." 

On her return trip the Rhode Island, soon 



2o6 The Old Navy. 

after leaving Cedar Keys, gave chase to another 
suspicious sail. Commander Trenchard says : 
" Sunday, November 2d : First part of the day 
moderate breezes from the east, with squally 
weather, and occasionally showers. At 4.40 
A.M., spoke a steamer standing to the north, 
and not learning her name, gave chase after 
having burned costons preparatory, and being 
answered, made our number, to which the 
steamer replied, Stars and Stripes. Not learn- 
ing of that vessel being upon the station, and 
supposing her to be a suspicious character, I 
determined to get nearer. In approaching 
her she attempted to cross our bow. On per- 
ceiving this manoeuvre our engines were re- 
versed and the steamer hailed and ordered to 
do the same, or stop. The two vessels came 
in contact ; we continued backing strong, thus 
preventing a more serious collision. Our 
false stem was slightly started by the shock, 
and the starboard anchor of the Stars and 
Stripes was torn away. The last-named vessel 
sustained no injury, as reported by her." 

On Tuesday, November 24th, Commander 
Trenchard reports : " At i a.m. made a 
steamer, beat to quarters, and upon boarding 
her she proved to be the royal British steamer 



Last Cruises as a Supply-Steamer. 207 

Baracoa from Nassau, bound for Key West." 
The Rhode Island arrived at Boston from this 
trip November iith. 

The following notice from the Boston Adver- 
tiser, in 1862, speaks well for the services of 
the Rhode Island : "The dispatch of gov- 
ernment orders, mails, supplies, etc., to the 
vessels and squadrons employed on the block- 
ade of Southern ports by the Rhode Island, 
under her present efficient commander and a 
corps of skilful officers, has proved her an 
invaluable friend to the thousands of patient 
and courageous officers and seamen who 
through the long months now past have held 
the passes of the rebellious coast." 




CHAPTER XV. 



SINKING OF THE " MONITOR." 



WITH the occupation of New Orleans, 
Pensacola, Port Royal, Fernandina, 
and other ports alonor the Southern coast by 
the Unionists, it became much easier for the 
blockading- squadrons to obtain fresh supplies, 
and it was found that one steamer could prop- 
erly maintain the service. The Rhode Island 
had proved, on more than one occasion, her 
capacity for fiohting-, and on her return to the 
Boston Navy Yard, November, 1862, she was 
fitted out as a gunboat, while to the Cojinedictit 
was assigned the duty of delivering provisions 
and mails to the blockading squadrons and 
bringing back the sick and wounded. The 
Rhode Islafid's old battery, with the exception 
of the 30-pounder Parrott gun, and one rifled 
i2-pounder Dahlgren gun, was removed and 

208 



'^ 



Sinking of the ''Monitor." 209 

replaced with one 9-inch Dahlgren on the 
port side aft, and eight 8-inch guns in the 
broadside, each weighing sixty-thnte hundred- 
weight. Her complement also was increased 
with some additional rates. 

Thus refitted and equipped the Rhode Island 
on a clear winter's day, tempered by a south- 
west breeze, steamed down Boston Harbor 
and made fast to the centre buoy of the Com- 
pass Station off Deer Island for the pur- 
pose of making the necessary observations for 
local attraction. The officers of the ship at 
this time were : Commander, Stephen Decatur 
Trenchard ; Acting Masters, William Williams 
and T. N. Meyer ; Acting Ensigns, Samuel 
H. Field and Albert Taylor ; Paymaster, 
Richard Hall Douglass ; Assistant Surgeon, 
Samuel G. Webb ; Acting First Assistant 
Engineer, John F. McCutchen ; Acting Third 
Assistant Engineers, George H. Rutter, 
Joseph C. Davis, Granville Davis, Anthony 
French, Isaac S. March ; Acting Masters' 
Mates, E. W. Watson, Lemuel Pope, William 
H. H. Stevens, Daniel R. Brown, William 
Rogers ; Captain's Clerk, V . C. T. Beck ; Pay- 
master's Clerk, Frank H. Deal. 

The Rhode Island left Boston December 



2IO The Old Navy. 

5th on her maiden cruise as a full-fledged gun- 
boat. While off Cape Henry three days later, 
she suddenly ran into shoal water, and soon 
afterward struck bottom. As the ship, at the 
time, was some distance from land and there 
was a considerable sea on, much alarm was 
felt, as it was feared that she would thump to 
pieces and the officers and crew would be left 
to struggle for their lives far out at sea. The 
striking of the ship occurred long before day- 
light, and the intense darkness, together with 
the rough water, made it extremely difficult 
for the ship to manoeuvre. The engines were 
promptly reversed and the sails were set and 
braced back. Boats were lowered to take 
soundinofs and kedofe-anchors were run out on 
the weather quarter. After great efforts and 
with no little danger of the boats capsizing, 
the vessel was dragged off the shoals and 
again brought into deep water. Some time 
was spent in examining into the condition of 
the ship. The pumps were sounded to see if 
she was leaking seriously. At 10.30 a.m. 
Commander Trenchard was satisfied that his 
ship had sustained no serious injuries, and half 
an hour later, having taken a pilot aboard, he 
ran into Hampton Roads and anchored off 



Sinking of the "Monitor." 211 

Fort Monroe, reporting on board the flag- 
steamer Philadelphia. 

The following is an extract from a letter 
written by one of the officers of the Rhode 
Island in reference to this mishap : 

" Friday, December 19, 1862. 

"The United States s\.^2im.^x Rhode Island 
arrived here yesterday from Boston. Shortly 
after leaving port she encountered a tremen- 
dous gale, which kept her knocking about for 
two days, making little or no headway. She 
was struck by a heavy sea which carried away 
both her wheel-houses and received other 
damage. After outriding the gale and while 
proceeding into Hampton Roads, at midnight 
on Wednesday she struck a reef, where she 
remained until daylight next morning before 
she got off. The wind, blowing a gale at the 
time, fortunately was off the land : had it not 
been so she would certainly have become a 
total wreck. As it was, so dangerous was 
their position, that the officers had everything 
in readiness to leave at a moment's notice. I 
think from what I have heard the officers say 
she will have to go into the dry dock before 
proceeding on her cruise." 

During the few days the vessel remained in 



212 The OKI Navy. 

this port, Coiiimaiuler Trenchard kept his 
crew constantly exercising' at the great guns 
and with such success that two days later when 
Captain Samuel Phillips Lee of the North At- 
lantic blockading squadron came aboard to 
inspect the ship he highly complimented her 
officers on the thorough man-of-war appear- 
ance the little cruiser presented. 

The first important duty on which the Rhode 
Island was assigned as a gunboat made her 
famous by associating her with the tragic loss 
of the Monitor. In Commander Trenchard's 
private papers there appears a sequel to the 
loss of that ill-fated ironclad which has escaped 
general attention, and which will be given in 
Commander Trenchard's own words. The 
Navy Department had decided to transfer the 
newly constructed Jhssa/c; Montauk, and the 
Monitor, tlic last being commanded by Captain 
John Pine Bankhead, from Hampton Roads 
to Port Royal, for the purpose of assisting in 
the operations on that part of the Confederate 
coast. 

Commander Trenchard in his journal re- 
cords : " Hampton Roads, Monday, December 
29, 1862. Light airs from the south and west, 
mild and pleasant weather. The U. S. steamer 



Sinking of the "Monitor." 213 

Connecticut arrived during the evening-, and 
soon afterward the iron-clad steamer Montauk 
(monitor No. 3) came in and anchored. In 
the afternoon we got underway with tlie Mon- 
itor in tow, the steamer State of Georgia having 
previously started with the Passaic in tow. 
Issued the following night orders : 'The officer 
of the deck is directed to have a very bright 
lookout kept off the bow and beam. He will 
sound at ten o'clock and inform me of the depth 
of water: also at four o'clock in the morning. 
The course will be S. S. E. as at present steered 
until order is changed. Keep a sharp lookout 
upon the Monitor astern, and should she signal 
attend to it at once ; then report to me. Inform 
me of every change of wind and weather. The 
speed of the steamer should be regulated by 
the sea. If it increases, moderate the speed; 
if smooth, increase it. Inform me when the 
steamer has made sixty miles from 10 p.m.' 

"Tuesday, December 30, 1862. The first 
part of the twenty-four hours the wind was 
light from the south and west ; clear and pleas- 
ant. The Monitor is making good headway 
in the good weather and is turning easily. 
Our speed averages five to six miles an hour. 
At one o'clock in the afternoon we sighted 



2 14 The Old Navy. 

Cape Hatteras Light, bearing west by south- 
west fourteen miles distant. The sea continued 
smooth during the day, and at sunset there 
was every indication of a favorable night. We 
had got to the south of Hatteras Shoals and 
anticipated a favorable termination of our voy- 
age the following day. The steamer State of 
Georgia, with the Passaic in tow, was in sight 
some six or eicfht miles to the north and east 
of us, and the steamer Cahanta was this side 
of her with a troop-ship in tow. At seven 
o'clock in the evening, the wind commenced 
freshening and hauling more to the south, and 
by half-past nine o'clock it blew a gale, attended 
with rain and squally weather. At nine o'clock 
Captain Bankhead signaled us to stop the en- 
gines, and finding that the Monitor had fallen 
off into the trough of the sea, and that the 
waves were making a complete breach over 
her, we started the engines again. The steamer 
soon brought her head to the wind under easy 
steam, when the Monitor appeared to make 
better weather. 

"At II P.M. Captain Bankhead signaled 
that he required assistance, and upon stopping 
the engines, and on the Monitor ranging up 
alongside, he hailed, and said, ' The Monitor is 



Sinking of the "Monitor." 215 

sinking ! ' Our boats were immediately cleared 
away, and arrangements were made to get the 
officers and crew from the sinking ironclad to 
the Rhode Island ^n\\\\ as little delay as possible. 
The port hawser with which we were tow- 
ing the Monitor had parted in the early part 
of the evening, and the stream cable was cut 
by someone on board the ironclad. About 
eleven o'clock, or soon afterward, our boats 
succeeded in getting nearly all on board, and 
the first cutter had started to get the remainder 
on board, when, unhappily, about 1.30 a.m., on 
the 31st of December, the Monitor suddenly 
disappeared. Acting M aster' s-M ate D. Rod- 
ney Brown was in charge of the cutter, having 
with him Charles H. Smith, coxswain, Morris 
Wagg, coxswain, Hugh Logan, captain of the 
afterguard, Lewis A. Horton, seaman, George 
Moore, seaman, Luke M. Griswold, ordinary 
seaman, and John Jones, landsman, who com- 
posed the crew of the boat. We lost sight of 
the cutter, and kept as near the position as 
possible until daylight, and then cruised up in 
the direction of Hatteras Shoals for the re- 
mainder of the day in hopes of picking up our 
boat. The wind hauled around to the north- 
west at nine o'clock in the morning. 



2i6 The Old Navy. 

"Thursday, January i, 1863. 

" A clear, bright day with a fresh northwest 
wind. We reached the blockading vessels off 
Wilmington this day. The vessels consisted 
of the Maratanza, Commander Scott ; CJiicora, 
Lieutenant-Commander Truxtun ; and the 
Monticello, Lieutenant-Commander Braine. We 
communicated with Captain Scott and finding 
that Captain Sands, for whom I had despatches, 
had left for Beaufort, I was directed to pro- 
ceed to that place, and left for there at 5.30 

P.M. 

" Friday, January 2d. 

"At 7,30 A.M. we made the land bearing 
north-northeast, and at 10 a.m. came to anchor 
off the bar of Beaufort. Went in and com- 
municated with the commanding officer, and 
reported the loss of the Mojiitor, We were 
directed to proceed immediately to Hampton 
Roads, and at 4.45 p.m. got under way in obe- 
dience to the order." 

The fate of the lost cutter is graphically 
described in the papers of Commander Trench- 
ard. The first is his report of the occurrence 
to Gideon Welles, Secretary of the Navy. 



Sinking of the "Monitor." 217 

" U. S. Steamer Rhode Island, Beaufort Harbor, 

" January ro, 1863. 

"Sir : — It gives me great satisfaction to re- 
port that Acting Master's- Mate D. Rodney 
Brown, together with the boat's crew missing 
from this vessel since the loss of the Monitor, 
have rejoined the Rhode Island. They reached 
Beaufort on the second instant. I enclose 
herewith a statement in detail of Mr. Brown's 
last trip in the first cutter of this vessel. I 
would respectfully commend to the considera- 
tion of the department the noble conduct of 
Mr. Harriman, commander of the schooner A. 
Colby of Buckport, Maine, in rescuing our men, 
in which service his vessel sustained serious in- 
jury by getting on Diamond Shoals. 
" I am, very respectfully, 

" Your obedient servant, 

" Stephen D. Trenchard." 

When the Rhode Islanders touched at Beau- 
fort, January ist, and heard nothing of their 
missing boat's crew, they gave the men up as 
lost. Great was their joy, however, on receiv- 
ing a despatch from Mr. Brown, giving an 
account of his adventures. The despatch 
was dated January lo, 1863. It seems that 



2i8 The Old Navy. 

after having- made two trips to the Monitor, 
he started on the third, and after leaving the 
Rhode Islaiid, he saw the red light burning 
at the flag-staff of the Monitor, and apparently 
about one mile distant. As the sea and the 
wind were against him, he made but little prog- 
ress, yet he continued gaining until within a 
quarter of a mile of the Monitor, when the light 
suddenly became extinguished. It appeared 
to settle gradually in the water as he ap- 
proached her and then it disappeared alto- 
gether. When he approached to what he 
supposed to be the position of the vessel, he 
could perceive no other trace of her except an 
eddy produced by the sinking craft. He re- 
mained near that position as long as he deemed 
prudent, in order to rescue any of the crew who 
might be in the water. But he found none. 
He then started for the Rhode Island, which 
then appeared to be two miles distant, the 
weather being overcast and attended with a 
slight rain, the wind hauling off to the north. 
Soon afterward he lost sight of the Rhode Island, 
but shortly afterward saw the first, second, and 
third lights. This is the last he saw of the 
Rhode Island thixt night. He then made a drag 
of the boat's mast by which he kept her head 



Sinking of the ** Monitor." 219 

to the sea, the men being constantly on the 
lookout for a signal. As none could be seen, 
he then made for the northward and westward, 
finding the sea too rough to pull directly to 
the west, hoping to fall in with some coasting 
vessel. 

Mr. Brown kept the boat's crew pulling all 
night in order to overcome the great strength 
of the current. He thought that if they did 
not do this they would drift far away from the 
track of all vessels before daylight. At break 
of day he discovered a schooner some four or 
five miles away from them. He also men- 
tioned seeing a small boat some distance off 
with two or three men in her, observing her as 
she rose two or three times upon the crest of 
a wave and then disappearing. At this time 
Brown's crew was taken up with the manage- 
ment of their own boat, the sea being very irreg- 
ular and the waves seeming to come from all 
quarters. After losing sight of the schooner re- 
ferred to, Mr. Brown saw a large ship close 
hauled, the wind being from the northward and 
eastward. He had approached her sufficiently 
near to make out the men upon her decks, 
but she passed on without noticing his signals 
for assistance. He then pulled directly in for 



2 20 The Old Navy. 

the land, which he estimated to be about ten 
miles distant. 

This was about half-past nine o'clock in the 
morning of December 31st, and about an hour 
afterward he made a schooner to leeward. He 
got up the crew's coats in order to make the 
sail, and broke some of his oars to assist in 
rigging the sail. He then ran down for the 
schooner, and about eleven o'clock managed 
to get alongside. The schooner proved to 
be the A. Colby, commanded by H. D. Harri- 
man, of Buckport, Maine, bound for Fernan- 
dina, with bricks for government use. Mr. 
Brown and his crew were received with every 
kindness. 

The cutter was taken aboard the schooner, 
and Mr. Harriman was requested to cliange 
his course so far as to land the officers and 
men at Beaufort, N. C. This he consented 
to do, but in running in for the coast, with a 
view of ascertaining more correctly his posi- 
tion, having been without an observation for 
several days, his schooner struck on Diamond 
Shoals, off Cape Hatteras. Being laden 
with brick, which strained the vessel danger- 
ously every time she struck bottom, it was 
feared that the A. Colby would soon go to 



Sinking of the "Monitor." 221 

pieces. As it was, she began to leak danger- 
ously. Mr. Harriman managed to get her 
afloat, and, continuing on his course for Beau- 
fort, he anchored that night under the land 
near Cape Hatteras Inlet. The men were 
kept constantly at work pumping out the 
water as fast as it leaked in. On the follow- 
ing day they sighted a steamer, and made the 
signal of distress. Harriman went aboard the 
vessel, which proved to be the U. S. gunboat 
Miami, Captain Townsend. Mr. Harriman 
reported the situation of his schooner and 
the crew, upon which Captain Townsend de- 
spatched a boat with twelve men, to assist in 
getting the schooner into port. 

That same afternoon they started for Beau- 
fort, reaching there on the morning of the 2d 
of January. Arriving there, Mr. Brown re- 
ported to Captain Drayton, the senior naval 
officer, requesting that he and his crew might 
be permitted to remain on board the A. Colby, 
to assist the captain in keeping his vessel 
afloat until a certain amount of the cargo 
could be removed, and be placed in a position 
to work his vessel with his own crew. The 
Rhode Island's boat-crew remained on board 
the A. Colby, giving every assistance to her 



2 22 The Old Navy. 

people, until January 5th, when they went on 
board the store-ship William Adgc7', Captain 
Carley, by whom Mr. Brown and his own men 
were treated with every attention, and upon 
the arrival of the Rhode Island, the following 
day, they rejoined their own vessel. Mr. 
Brown speaks of Mr. Harriman in the follow- 
ing terms : " I cannot say too much in praise 
of Captain Harriman, who did all that could 
be done, and thought nothiuij of the trouble 
to which they were necessarily put by altering 
his original voyage ; and although all he pos- 
sessed was the schooner, yet he told me when 
she struck that he would willingly lose her in 
order to save anyone, and if he should lose 
his vessel and cargo he never would recrret 
having taken us on board." 

In his official report of the loss of the 
Monitor, Commander Bankhead said : "I 
must testify to the untiring efforts and zeal 
displayed by Captain Trenchard to rescue the 
crew of the Monitor. Every attention and 
kindness have been shown to us by Captain 
Trenchard and his officers, to whom we all 
feel deeply grateful." 




CHAPTER XVI. 



ON SPECIAL DUTY. 



ALTHOUGH the Rhode Island's first ex- 
perience as a cruiser had been attended 
with danger, and nearly resulted in the loss of 
one of her boat's crews, yet the plucky Rhode 
Islanders were far from being discouraged and 
looked forward to another cruise with eager- 
ness. On Monday, January 12, 1863, they 
left Hampton Roads with the monitor Passaic 
in tow for Port Royal, where Commander 
Trenchard was to report to Rear-Admiral Du 
Pont for duty on the South Atlantic station. 
Commander Trenchard arrived at this port in 
safety, and on January 23d he received the fol- 
lowing instructions from the Rear-Admiral : 
" You will proceed with the Rhode Island un- 
der your command off Charleston, and report 

for duty to Captain Sylvanus William Godon, 

223 



2 24 The Old Navy. 

the senior officer present." The pecuHar na- 
ture of the duty assigned to the Rhode Island 
will be seen in the note sent at the same time 
by Rear-Admiral Du Pont to Captain Godon : 
" I desire you to give the Rhode Island a station 
nearest the bar, so that a system of reconnois- 
sance and soundings may be commenced in 
the channels. This must be done at niofht 
and with the greatest caution, in order not to 
excite the attention of the enemy. You are 
not only to obtain the depth of water, but the 
features of the channels, so as to enable the 
pilots to plant the buoys in one night.'' 

On the day this order reached Commander 
Trenchard he received a counter-order from 
Rear-Admiral Du Pont as follows : " Not- 
withstanding the important duty upon which I 
sent you this morning, I have received a de- 
spatch from the Navy Department to send a 
steamer to Hampton Roads to tow the Wee- 
hawken to Port Royal. You will transfer the 
pilots now on board the Rhode Island to the 
Atigusta to relieve you off Charleston." In a 
postscript Rear- Admiral Du Pont adds in his 
own handwriting : " You will not mention your 
destination or its object to anyone in your ship 
or to anyone off Charleston, as I desire it should 



On Special Duty. 225 

not be known to anyone but the senior officer 
present. S. F. D. P." 

While in Hampton Roads, in obedience to 
this last order, the following telegram from the 
Navy Department, dated January 29th, again 
changed the programme marked out for the 
Rhode Island: " The Confederate war-steamer 
Oreto {Florida) left Havana on the 2 2d inst. ! 
She burned a brig off Matanzas and three 
vessels off Cardenas. She has probably gone 
to the old Bahama Channel. You will pro- 
ceed in that direction with the utmost de- 
spatch and report for duty to Acting-Rear-Ad- 
miral Wilkes, by letter, when possible. But 
your first duty is to chase the Oreto or the 
Alabama. — Gideon Welles." The Florida had 
just made her extraordinary escape through 
the National blockading squadron off Mobile, 
and ran into Nassau. She was built in Liver- 
pool, exactly on the lines of the British gun- 
boats of that day. The Alabama, on January 
nth, had sunk the United States gunboat 
Hatteras off Galveston, and it was thought that 
she might be now skirting along the Atlantic 
coast. Taken altogether, the situation was 
well calculated to cause excitement in the little 
gunboat. 



2 26 The Old Navy. 

Immediately there was a stir of hasty prepa- 
rations for departure that spoke well for the 
fii^htinor qualities of the officers and men. 
The prospect of a brush with the Florida or the 
Alabama sent the blood of the Rhode Islanders 
tino-linor through their veins, and the order to 
get underway was obeyed with alacrity. The 
ship left Hampton Roads a few hours after 
the receipt of the telegram. Extra lookouts 
were stationed and unusual precautions were 
taken to discover any sail or smoke that bore 
the slightest resemblance to, or would give a 
cue to the whereabouts of, the Confederate 
cruisers. 

On the third day out the desire for a brush 
with a Confederate warship seemed likely to 
be gratified. 

This day, Monday, February 2, 1863, 
dawned with showers of rain and squalls of 
wind which made it extremely difficult to dis- 
cover a ship more than a mile away. Soon 
after day broke, 6.40 a.m., the lookout reported 
that he had caught a glimpse of a steamer, 
through a rift in the fog, under sail and steam. 
From the peculiar appearance of the smoke it 
was known that she was burning English coal, 
and soon afterward, when the outlines of the 



On vSpccial Duty. 227 

stranger were more distinctly made out, it was 
seen that she was of English construction. 
At that time the stranger was about five or 
six miles from the Rhode Island, and steering 
in a northeasterly direction. Descriptions of 
the celebrated Alabama and Florida had been 
placed in the hands of the Union commanders, 
and the appearance of this stranger conformed 
with the description of the former so perfectly 
(with the exception of the raking masts, which 
might have been refitted since the description of 
the Alabama was sent out) that everybody felt 
sure they were in the presence of the formidable 
commerce-destroyer. 

Commander Trenchard immediately gave 
orders to get up a full head of steam, and in 
a short time the Rhode Island was bound- 
ing after the chase, pounding the waves with 
her rapidly revolving paddle-wheels, and 
splashing the foam behind her like an excited 
duck. Efforts to increase her speed were 
made by spreading every inch of canvas that 
the steamer could carry, and for a time it 
seemed as if they were gaining. Then again 
it seemed as if the Rhode Island was no more 
than holding her own, but after the chase had 
lasted five hours it was apparent to everyone 



228 The Old Navy. 

on board that the stranger was gradually draw- 
ing away. It was also seen that the chase was 
resorting to extraordinary means for increas- 
ing her speed, as the discoloration of her 
smoke showed plainly enough that her firemen 
were throwing rosin and pitch on the fires. The 
fact that the vessel had rosin and pitch aboard 
in any quantities seemed to indicate that the 
vessel was from some Southern port, whence 
much of these commodities came, or had re- 
ceived a supply of it at some of the alleged 
neutral ports or from some blockade-runner. 
In any event the Rhode Islanders were more 
convinced than ever that they were pursuing a 
Confederate craft. By sunset the chase was 
hulled down about twelve miles ahead. The 
Rhode /jrA'z;^^/ continued the pursuit during the 
night with the hope that some accident might 
befall the stranger's machinery or that her fuel 
might give out. All night long the plucky 
little gunboat kept up the chase. The next 
day dawned with a clearing sky, but nothing 
could be seen of the stranger, not even from 
the masthead, and Commander Trenchard 
reluctantly changed his course. 

At 6 A.M. a larofe sailincT-vessel was sighted 
standintT to the east, but as there was nothing 



On' Special Duty. 229 

suspicious about her no attempt was made to 
get aboard. During the latter part of the day 
it blew a heavy gale, the wind suddenly shift- 
ing to different quarters, creating a dangerous 
cross-sea and causing the gunboat to labor 
heavily. Before evening fears were entertained 
for the safety of the cruiser. Ponderous 
waves broke over her, sweeping entirely across 
the decks, and washing away the forward sec- 
tion of her wheel-houses. Commander Trench- 
ard was compelled to bring the head of the 
Rhode Island to the wind, and under easy steam 
he rode out the storm for the remainder of 
the night. Efforts were made to abate the 
violence of the waves by pouring oil on the sea. 
This was done in conformity to instructions 
that were issued to our officers to make this 
experiment from time to time. Commander 
Trenchard makes no reference in his journal 
to the success of this measure to calm the sea. 
By dawn, February 4th, the wind abated, and 
at noon the ship was on her course again. 
At 1 1 A.M., February 6th, Commander Trench- 
ard boarded the British brier Ella from New 
York bound for Nassau. At three o'clock that 
afternoon he passed a large armed ship stand- 
ing to the south and east. At 8.30 o'clock 



230 The Old Navy. 

that evening he passed Hole-in-the-Wall Light 
on Ahco. At 11 p.m. he spoke the American 
ship Stromboliixoxw New York to New Orleans. 

Two days later, while cruising near the Old 
Bahama Channel, the Rhode Island discovered 
the smoke of another steamer and gave chase. 
This time the little gunboat was more success- 
ful and overtook the British mail steamer 
DasJiazvay, from Havana for St. Thomas. On 
the following day the RJiodc Island boarded the 
English steamer Pacific, from New York for 
Cardenas. After boarding a Spanish man-of- 
war, the Rhode Island, on February loth, put 
into Key West for repairs and coal. Twelve 
days later, on February 2 2d, being the anni- 
versary of Washington's birthday, the cruiser 
was bedecked with flags, and at noon, together 
the flagship St. Lawrence, fired a salute in honor 
of the day. 

The Rhode Islaiid left Key West at five 
o'clock on the afternoon of February 23d and 
ran into Havana, where she found the United 
States cruiser Sotiorna, Commander Thomas 
Holdup Stevens. At this place Commander 
Trenchard exchanged salutes with the Spanish 
Admiral and also with the town. In company 
with Capt. Daniel Boone Ridgely of \\\^Sa7iti- 



On- Special Duty. 231 

ago de Cuba, Commander Trenchard called 
upon the Spanish Admiral, and in the evening 
they paid a visit to Mr. Shufeldt, the United 
States Consul-General in that port, at his 
country-seat. Mr. Shufeldt also visited the 
Rhode Isla7td. The Rhode Is lattd diWd the San- 
tiago de Cuba left Havana in company, Febru- 
ary 25th. These two vessels proceeded directly 
to the Bahama Banks, where they anchored 
in five fathoms of water, hoping to intercept 
Confederate blockade-runners. A number of 
vessels were spoken on the way with the ex- 
pectation of gaining information as to the 
movements of Confederate vessels. On Feb- 
ruary 27th the cruisers got under way again 
and cruised to the southeast. At eight o'clock 
in the morning a sail was discovered to the 
east, standing to the northwest in the direc- 
tion of the Great Bahama Banks. The Ameri- 
can gunboats bore down for the stranger, and 
as they drew near her she appeared to be a 
very suspicious character. It proved to be a 
screw steamer, and answered exactly to the 
description the Union commanders had re- 
ceived of the Confederate commerce-destroyer, 
Florida. Believing that they had that vessel 
in sight, and fearing that she would cross the 



232 The Old Navy. 

Banks, thus giving the gunboats the shp, Com- 
mander Trenchard endeavored to cut her off. 
The two gunboats rapidly overhauled the chase, 
but it was not until they had reached the edge 
of the Banks that they came within gunshot. 
Commander Trenchard now fired a blank car- 
tridge to induce the stranger to heave-to. This 
did not have the desired effect, and a moment 
later a shell was sent hissina- and ricochetino- 
over the waves just in front of the steamer's 
bows. This brought the stranger to terms, and 
a boat was lowered and prepared to be sent 
aboard the stranger. Meantime, however, the 
chase had lowered a boat, and, having previ- 
ously hoisted the English ensign and pendant, 
came alongside the Union gunboats to explain 
her conduct. " It was not until she lowered 
her boat," writes Commander Trenchard, " that 
I could feel satisfied it was not the Florida'' 
The commander of the steamer came aboard 
the Rhode Island and reported that his vessel 
was H. B. M. gunboat Cygnd, Commander De 
Kanza. The British commander was a trifle 
indignant at the manner in which his vessel had 
been treated and demanded an explanation. 
Commander Trenchard expressed his regrets 
for the occurrence, and apologized for firing 



On Special Duty. 233 

the shell. Upon this, Commander De Kanza 
returned to his ship, and the vessels resumed 
their original courses. 

Continuing- their cruise in company, the 
Rhode Island and the Santiago de Cuba boarded 
several vessels, and at nine o'clock on the morn- 
ing of March 2d learned from the people of an 
English brig from Porto Rico bound for Santi- 
ago de Cuba " that the Confederate steamer 
Alabama and the United States cruiser Van- 
derbilf, the flagship of Capt. Charles Wilkes's 
flying squadron, which had been detailed espe- 
cially to capture the Confederate cruisers, had 
been seen in the Mona Passage on the 27th of 
February. In hopes of learning something 
more definite in reference to the Alabama, the 
Rhode Island and the Santiago de Cuba shaped 
their course for St. Nicholas Mole, arriving 
there March 3d. Commander Trenchard, in 
company with Captain Ridgely, called upon the 
Governor and other officials, and learned that 
Wilkes had left two weeks before. The follow- 
ing day the two American commanders called 
upon the Governor and took dinner with him. 

Leaving this place March 5th, the Rhode 
Island and the Santiago de Cuba put to sea 
and continued to cruise in company, under a 



234 The Old Navy. 

clear sky, on a smooth sea, and with balmy 
breezes. When south of Cuba, at three o'clock 
in the morning of Friday, March 6th, they 
gave chase to a suspicious steamer, but upon 
coming up with her at 6.20 a.m., she proved 
to be a Spanish merchant craft. Commander 
Trenchard now exercised his crew at the great 
guns by firing at a target. While this was 
under way, an accident occurred that came 
near endintr the career of the Rhode Island 
and her entire ship's company. The accident 
was prevented by an act of heroism on the 
part of one of the crew that has never been 
surpassed for bravery, and ranks the hero 
with Reuben James and other celebrated 
American tars who, by acts of personal brav- 
ery, have made themselves famous in the 
United States Navy. Commander Trenchard 
says: "We were very providentially saved 
from a serious accident. While the men were 
eneaofed in firinor at the tarjjets, a shell fell 
into the shot-locker, its leaden patch became 
detached from the fuse, which ignited by the 
shell cominor Jn contact with other shells in 
the locker." Had the shell exploded in the 
locker the result would have been terrific. 
Realizing the peril, Master-at-Arms Richard 



On Special Duty. 235 

Luscomb seized the shell, with its hissing 
fuse, in his hands, and handed it to Acting- 
Master's- Mate William Rogers, who hastened 
with it to the deck above, and, at the immi- 
nent risk of being blown to pieces, rushed to 
the bulwark and threw it overboard. The 
heroic act was done so quickly that only a few 
at the moment realized from what a terrible 
catastrophe they had escaped. Commander 
Trenchard said : " We cannot feel too thankful 
for this kindly and providential preservation." 
An amusino- incident occurred on the fol- 
lowing day which shows how a serious disas- 
ter might result aboard a warship in time 
of war from the most pacific intentions. Be- 
ing anxious to get news of the Confederate 
blockade-runners' cruisers. Captain Ridgely, 
of the Santiago de Cuba, while still cruising in 
company with the Rhode Island, March 7th 
gave chase to a brig that was discovered to 
the south of Cumberland Harbor, Cuba. The 
only object of the pursuit was to obtain news, 
but the brig's people, finding themselves pur- 
sued by a formidable-looking gunboat, be- 
came greatly frightened and made directly 
for the shore, evidently intending to wreck 
their vessel rather than allow her to be over 



236 The Old Navy. 

taken. Fearincr that the master of the brior 
might carry out his suicidal intentions if the 
Santiago de Cuba persisted in the chase, Cap- 
tain Ridgely gave up the pursuit and rejoined 
the Rhode Island. 

On Sunday, March 8th, Commander Trench- 
ard notes : " First part of the day, light airs 
from the south and east ; latter part, light 
breezes from the north and east, and pleasant. 
At 10.30 A.M. performed divine service." 
Services also were held in the Santiao;o de 
Ciiba. The calm of the Sabbath day was 
agreeably broken by the alternate songs of 
praise that were wafted in a Hght balmy 
breeze from one vessel to another. The peace 
of the Sabbath was broken about noon by the 
Santiago de Ciiba giving chase to a vessel 
which proved to be an English bark from San- 
tiago de Cuba for England, laden with cop- 
per. At half-past two in the afternoon the 
American bark Casco, of and from New York, 
nine days out, for Santiago de Cuba, was 
boarded. While running for this bark a very 
suspicious-looking vessel hove in sight. Com- 
mander Trenchard sent his men to quarters 
and prepared for action, but the stranger 
proved to be a Spanish steam frigate. 



CHAPTER XVII. 



LEISURELY CRUISING. 



ON March 9th the Santiago cie Cuba and 
the Rhode Island ran into Cape Hay- 
tien, where they exchanged a salute of twenty- 
one guns with the Haytian flag, after which 
Captain Ridgely and Commander Trenchard 
went on shore and paid a visit to the town offi- 
cials. The next day the United States consul 
visited the National gunboats, each vessel 
saluting him with seven guns. On March 
nth Captain Ridgely and Commander 
Trenchard visited the country-seat of a rich 
Haytian merchant some miles inland, where 
they were sumptuously entertained. 

The little cruisers left Cape Haytien March 
1 2th, and passing between Tortuga and Hayti 
continued their cruise in company. Touching 
at St. Nicholas Mole, and finding no vessels 

237 



238 The Old Navy. 

there, they resumed their course southward 
under easy steam and sail, boarding a number 
of American, EngHsh, and Spanish vessels. 
At 5.20 P.M. March 14th, when abreast of 
Cape Filusan, a steamer was discovered in- 
shore, but soon afterward, a fog settling down, 
they lost sight of her, but on the following 
day she was again discovered and proved to 
be a British gunboat, flying the blue ensign. 
The American cruisers fell in with this same 
gunboat the next day. Soon afterward they 
met the United States man-of-war Vaiidcrbilt, 
the flagship of Captain Wilkes, and accom- 
panied her into the harbor of St. Nicholas 
Mole, where she was saluted with seventeen 
guns, to which she responded with seven. 

At nine o'clock that evenino- the Va7iderbilt 
put to sea, leaving the Rhode Island and the 
Saiitiago de Cuba in port. Captain Ridgely 
and Commander Trenchard called on the local 
authorities and proceeded to sea on the even- 
ing of the same day. Commander Trenchard 
notes in his journal : 

" Thursday, March 19, 1863. 

" Light variable breezes andpleasant weather. 
While off the harbor of Santiago de Cuba, we 
spoke the English brig W. A. Rodger s of 



Leisurely Cruising. 239 

Yarmouth, bound in from St. John's. At 
12.20 P.M. we anchored in the harbor of Santi- 
ago de Cuba in company with our consort 
bearing the same name. We saluted the 
Spanish flag with twenty-one guns, which was 
duly returned. The United States consul, 
Mr. Wallace of Syracuse, N. Y., visited our 
ship, and upon leaving we saluted him with 
seven guns. A boat with an ofificer from the 
Spanish war-steamer Blanco de Garcia came 
alono^side with the usual offers of civilities. 
I called, in company with Captain Ridgely, on 
His Excellency the Governor, and had a 
pleasant visit. 

" Friday, March 20th. 

" Light airs from the east, clear and pleas- 
ant. I called on the commander of the Bianco 
de Garcia, who very politely went to quarters 
and drilled his men in various evolutions, with 
which and the general efficiency aboard the 
ship we were very much pleased." 

The officers of the Rhode Island on March 
14, 1863, were : Commander Trenchard ; Lieu- 
tenant, Norman H. Farquhar ; Paymaster, 
Richard Hall Douglass ; Assistant Surgeon, 
Samuel G. Webber ; Acting Master, Wm. 
Williams ; Acting Ensigns, Albert Taylor, 



240 The Old Navy. 

Daniely Rodney Brown, Douglas R. Cassel ; 
Acting Master's Mates, Chas. F. Ellmore, 
Calvin S. Wilcox ; Acting Chief Engineer, 
John F. McCutchen ; Second Assistant Engi- 
neers, Geo. H. Rutter, James L. Marshall ; 
Third Assistant Engineer, John Van Hoven- 
berg ; Acting Third Assistant Engineers, 
Joseph C. Lewis, Greenvile Lewis, Isaac S. 
Mench, Geo. W. Keller ; Captain's Clerk, 
Fanning C. T. Beck ; Paymaster's Clerk, 
Frank H. Deal ; Acting Gunner, John W. 
Irwin ; Surgeon's Steward, Wm. Chandler. 

On Sunday, while religious service was 
being held on the deck of the Rhode Island, 
in the harbor of Santiago de Cuba, word was 
received that the Alabama had been seen out- 
side of the harbor. Instantly every prepara- 
tion forgiving chase was made, notwithstanding 
the fact that the frail Rhode Island would have 
had a hard time with the formidable Confed- 
erate cruiser. Nothing was seen of the sup- 
posed Alabajiia that afternoon or night, but 
Commander Trenchard continued the search, 
hoping yet to fall in with the famous Semmes. 
Monday, March 23d, dawned with light varia- 
ble airs. Commander Trenchard improved 
his time by exercising the crew in firing at a 



Leisurely Cruising. 241 

target with the great guns, at distances varying 
from twelve hundred to seventeen hundred 
yards. At about half-past four that afternoon, 
while the crew was engaged in this work, a 
steamer was discovered, and chase was imme- 
diately given. High hopes were entertained 
of its being the famous Confederate cruiser. 
When the Rhode Isla7td had come within gun- 
shot, she fired two blank cartridges. As this 
did not induce the stranger to show her colors, 
the Rhode Island, when at a distance of about 
two miles, fired a rifled shell ahead of the 
steamer, when she hoisted French colors. 
Upon boarding, she was found to be the 
French packet ship Florida, from Santiago de 
Cuba for France. 

Disappointed at not falling in with the Ala- 
bama, Commander Trenchard put back to 
Santiago de Cuba. On the afternoon of March 
24th he started for a visit to the coal-mines in 
the interior, in company with a Captain Church- 
hill, of Portland, Maine, and several other 
officers. This " land cruise " was highly appre- 
ciated by the officers, who had so long been 
confined to the narrow limits of the Rhode Isl- 
and^s cabins and decks. Commander Trench- 
ard was greatly impressed with the good 



242 The Old Navy. 

order and generally prosperous appearance of 
the mine. He carefully inspected the process 
of crushing and smelting, and in his stroll 
around the works was received with every 
courtesy by the officers of the company. 
While the Rhode Island and the Sajitiago de 
Cuba were in this port the British steam frigate 
Challe7iger and gunboat Steady and the Span- 
ish war-steamer Blanco de Garcia arrived. 

As American cruisers were not allowed to 
leave an English port without giving twenty- 
four hours' notice, when by so doing they might 
capture a Confederate vessel, Commander 
Trenchard called on the Governor, March 30th, 
and notified him of the Rhode Island's intended 
departure. 

The American cruisers left the place March 
31st, and at daylight April ist put into the 
harbor of Port Royal, Jamaica, where the Eng- 
lish flag was saluted with twenty-one guns, and 
the British commandant with thirteen guns, 
which courtesies were promptly returned. 
While at this place Commander Trenchard 
notes : " I called in company with Captain 
Ridgely first on board the British commodore's 
flagship Aboukir, and learning that his quar- 
ters were in the dockyard I called there. We 



Lei"surely Cruising. 243 

found Commodore Dunlop a very pleasant 
person and were received by him most hos- 
pitably. The Nile, the flagship of Admiral 
Millen (commander-in-chief), and several other 
British war-vessels were in port." 

The Rhode Island and the Santiago de Cuba 
left Port Royal April 2d and ran into Aux 
Cayes, where they called on the officials of the 
port and breakfasted with Messrs. Brown and 
Ross, the last named being the United States 
acting consul. The Acting Governor visited 
the ship and was saluted. The cruisers left 
this port April 4th, and on the second day out 
boarded the English schooner Oriental, from 
New York, bound for Aux Cayes. Although the 
vessel's papers were found to be in proper 
shape, she had no flag. The matter was re- 
ferred to Captain Ridgely, who decided that 
the circumstances did not justify her seizure, 
upon which the vessels continued their cruise, 
passing several small villages on the island 
during the afternoon. 

The gunboats then ran into Port au Prince, 
where the usual civilities were exchanged with 
the town officials. On April 8th the American 
officials were formally presented to His Ex- 
cellency the President of Hayti, the Minister 



244 The Old Navy. 

of Finance, and other officials of the Govern- 
ment. Commander Trenchard notes : " The 
President received us in a very friendly manner, 
expressed his desire to cultivate the strongest 
relations of friendship with our country, from 
its havine the same form of crovernment as his 
own, which was destined to be one of the great- 
est of the nations and was located so near 
Hayti. A great many pleasing compliments 
were interchanged. He regretted not speaking 
English and the officers French, in order that 
he might have the pleasure of holding conver- 
sation with them. The President is a man of 
fine bearing, prepossessing appearance, and 
pleasing manners. The officers afterward 
visited the tomb of Pethion near the palace." 

Hastening from one port to another in hopes 
of getting on the track of some Confederate 
cruiser, especially that of the Alabama, the 
Rhode Island and Sa^itiago de Cuba left Port 
au Prince April 8th, and in their cruise touched 
at St. Nicholas Mole and Cape Haytian, run- 
ning into the latter port for coal and repairs. 



CHAPTER XVIII. 



A ROMANTIC CRUISE. 



WHILE at Cape Haytien, April nth, 
Commander Trenchard, together with 
a number of brother officers, took the opportu- 
nity of visiting the ruins of Christophe's Castle, 
some twenty-seven miles inland. The officers 
left their ships at four o'clock in the morning, 
and after some delay in getting the vicious 
horses in a frame of mind for being mounted, 
they started out. It was not long before the 
officers found that however skilful they might 
have been at one time as horseback riders, they 
were sadly out of practice, as many a tumble 
and stiffened limb attested. The roads were 
found to be in a wretched condition, and sev- 
eral of the officers, including Commander 
Trenchard, were thrown from their horses. 
At one time the guides lost their bearing and 

245 



246 The Old Navy. 

it was long before they regained the trail, as 
the miserable apology for a road should have 
been called. 

After breakfast No. 2, at a lonely house by 
the roadside, about 10 a.m., the journey was 
resumed. Winding their way over a flat 
country, the officers came to the foot of the 
mountains on which the ruins of Christophe's 
Castle could be seen. Then the trail wound 
up through banana plantations, and by moun- 
tain huts. Passinor throucrh the massive orates 
of the castle, the American officers inspected 
the marvels of this wonderful structure. Chris- 
tophe was the negro king of a part of Hayti 
early in the century. He became famous as 
having originated the system of monarchy by 
which his dominion was divided into duke- 
doms, the heads of which were known as the 
Duke of Marmalade, the Duke of Lemonade, 
etc. 

Commander Trenchard gives the following 
interesting description of these ruins : " The 
largest and most complete of Christophe's gar- 
risons was called La Fanire. It stood on one 
of the highest mountains of the island, distant 
about ten miles from Cape Fran9ois, com- 
manding a view of many miles of the coast 



A Romantic Cruise. 247 

and of the interior also. This citadel, as it 
was popularly called, originally was begun by 
the French, who, after having laid the founda- 
tions and erected part of the walls, were obliged, 
from lack of materials or from the opposition 
of the negroes, to abandon the undertaking. 
From the immense height of the mountain 
and extent of the country which it commanded 
from its ascent (which in many parts was over 
huge crags and in others almost perpendicu- 
lar), and from the ease and security with which 
an enemy might be thence repelled, it was a 
spot which offered the greatest advantages. 
These could not escape the observation of 
Christophe. 

" As soon, therefore, as he found himself 
sufficiently at leisure to engage in an under- 
taking which would occupy so much of his 
attention and time, he caused the necessary 
materials for the building to be collected, set 
all the workmen and soldiers that were capable 
of rendering any assistance to labor, and gen- 
erally attending in person, allowed little or no 
intermission of the work till it was completed. 
He furnished it with all kinds of ammunition 
and provisions, occasionally removing such 
articles of the latter as became damaged, and 



248 The Old Navy. 

considering it the safest spot in his territories, 
deposited in a secret part of it the immense 
sums of specie which had fallen into his pos- 
session. Europeans were not permitted to 
ascend this mountain or even to approach very 
near to it, nor could they, by making inquiries 
of the natives respecting the size of the citadel 
and its fortifications, procure any information 
at all satisfactory or reliable. Its outer walls, 
they affirmed, were eighty feet in thickness 
and of porportionate height ; the provisions 
with which it was stored they declared were 
capable of supplying a great part of the army 
for some years. The ammunition contained 
in its magazines they represented as almost 
inexhaustible, and they further added that 
from one particular point no less than eighty 
pieces of cannon could be brought to bear on 
an enemy at once. 

" But though this account evidently was ex- 
aggerated, it was generally admitted that it 
was impossible for the strongest army to re- 
duce it by siege or to take it by force. On 
account of its peculiar situation and immense 
height, this mountain is one of the most inter- 
esting in the island. It may be seen from a 
considerable distance at sea, with its citadel 



A Romantic Cruise. 249 

towering high above the numerous hills by 
which it is surrounded, as if bidding defiance 
to any power that might be brought against it. 
It looks far more interesting and singular 
when, as is frequently the case in the early 
part of the morning, the beautiful white mists 
which arise from the night dews cling around 
the summit of this great mass of masonry, just 
allowing the summits of the neighboring hills 
to appear, leaving the rest the appearance of 
being supported by the clouds. 

" But on one of those peculiarly still, calm 
evenings which occur in tropical climates, 
when the usual breeze which had arisen died 
away, the clouds suddenly gathered, and col- 
lecting in wild and terrible confusion, assum- 
ing innumerable and ever-varying forms, the 
thunders burst forth in terrific and rapid suc- 
cession ; the rain poured down as though the 
windows of heaven had been opened, and the 
forked lightning, intermingling with lurid 
flashes, threw a dismal and appalling glare on 
every object. In a moment, the citadel on 
which so much labor and expense had been 
bestowed was one heap of ruins. The ammuni- 
tion lodged in it had exploded ; the stores it 
contained were destroyed ; of the specie, some 



250 The Old Navy. 

was thrown an immense distance, and some 
scattered on the sides of the mountain and 
out of the three hundred soldiers, only a few 
escaped. They hastened in wild amazement 
to Cape Francois to tell of the dreadful catas- 
trophe. The first object of Christophe's after 
this accident was to gather up all the specie 
that could be found. He then selected from 
the materials of the ruined structure such as 
were still fit for use, and collecting others, 
caused it to be rebuilt without delay. At- 
tributing the accident chiefly to the explosion 
of the ammunition, he now put only a small 
quantity in the castle, such as was necessary 
for immediate use. Strengthening and im- 
proving the castle from time to time, he at 
length rendered it a greater place of conse- 
quence and security than before." Commander 
Trenchard and his brother officers spent many 
hours wandering among the massive ruins, 
and then returned to their ships. 

Leaving Cape Haytien, April i6th, the two 
vessels cruised in company between latitude 
28° and 28° 30' north, and longitude ']']'" and 
78° west, boarding and speaking a number of 
American and English vessels. About four 
o'clock on the morning of April 23d, they fell 



A R'omantic Cruise. 251 

in with a warship which, in the uncertain light 
of early dawn, could not readily be distin- 
guished, and hoping that it might prove to be 
a Confederate vessel, the National cruisers 
approached with caution. The stranger, how- 
ever, proved to be the United States gunboat 
Tioga, which sent a boat aboard the Rhode 
Island. The Tioga also was on a general 
cruise, and after an exchange of civilities she 
resumed her course, while the Santiago de 
Cuba and the Rhode Island ran into Key 
West. 

While in this port. Commander Trenchard 
notes that the ward-room officers of the Sus- 
quehanna, on the evening of April 28th, " gave 
a party which was very generally attended by 
the ladies of Key West and the officers of the 
Susqtiehanna. It was a brilliant affair, and 
went off very well." During the next ten 
days the Rhode Island remained in this port, 
a number of social courtesies were exchanged 
between officers of other war-vessels and peo- 
ple living on shore. Commander Trenchard 
notes that on April 29th the army steamer 
McClellan came in with a prize in tow. 

The Rhode Island left Key West May 7th, 
and put into Havana on the following day, 



252 The Old Navy. 

where she found the United States warship 
yuiiiata, Lieutenant John Mellen Brady Clitz, 
the Somo7ia, Commander Thomas Holdup 
Stevens, arriving on the following day. In 
company with Lieutenant Clitz, Commander 
Trenchard called on the Spanish Admiral, 
who was in port at the time. The Rhode Isl- 
and left Havana May loth, and resumed her 
cruise, falling in with a number of vessels 
every day. On May iith she met the Octo- 
rara, and delivering her mails made for 
Nassau. 

While on her way to this port Commander 
Trenchard notes: "Thursday, May 12, 1863. 
Moderate breezes from the north and east and 
pleasant. At 8.15 a.m. made a steamer of a 
suspicious appearance to the east of us. We 
promptly gave chase, upon which she hoisted 
English colors. We fired a blank cartridge, as 
a Confederate vessel might have hoisted Eng- 
lish colors as a riise to escape. As she paid 
no attention to the blank cartridge, we fired a 
shell across her bow, but as she still continued 
on her course we fired several other shells, and 
pursued her to within three miles of the land, 
where we ceased firing, as the Rhode Island had 
ofot within four and a half miles of the shore. 



A Romantic Cruise. 253 

We then gave up the chase (the steamer hav- 
ing anchored at Salt Key entrance) and con- 
tinued on our own course for Nassau, off of 
which place we anchored at 1.20 p.m." 

At Nassau Commander Trenchard had his 
first experience with the unfriendly attitude of 
the British Government toward the Northern 
States during the Civil War. Immediately on 
entering the harbor he was boarded by the 
United States consul, who visited the ship, after 
which the J^/iode Island Qxchsinged saAutes with. 
the forts, and also saluted the consul as he de- 
parted with seven guns. Commander Trench- 
ard accompanied the consul on shore, and called 
with him upon the Governor. "The pleasure 
of this visit," writes Commander Trenchard, 
" was interrupted by the Governor expressing 
his intention of detaining us twenty-four hours 
to enable a Confederate vessel to go out. Upon 
consulting Her Majesty's proclamation we 
found there was absolutely no just cause for 
detaining us. We called the Governor's atten- 
tion to this, so that he had not the satisfaction 
of keeping us beyond the few hours that were 
necessary to communicate with our consul. 
Upon the whole His Excellency was rather an 
agreeable person, and dispensed his hospitality 



2 54 The Old Navy. 

with ease and friendship. I called on my way 
out on the commander of the British warship 
Baravata, who had kindly sent an officer with 
the usual proffers of assistance. I had a de- 
lightful visit, and was glad on having met with 
the captain of the British gunboat." 

The Rhode Island left Nassau May 1 2th, and 
on the following day Commander Trenchard 
notes : " First part of the day the wind was 
light from the north and east, while the latter 
part was cloudy. At '^.2^0 a.m. we discovered a 
steamer and gave chase. Shortly afterward 
we went to quarters and fired a blank cartridge 
for the purpose of bringing the stranger to. 
Upon this the chase showed English colors, 
but did not stop until a shell was tired ahead 
of her two hours later. She proved to be the 
English steamer Corsica, from Nassau for New 
York. The RJiode Island boarded a number 
of other vessels that day." 

On May 13, 1S63, Captain Wilkes sent Com- 
mander Trenchard the following instructions : 
" It has appeared to me that the presence of the 
Rhode Island and San/ia^o de Cuba may not be 
needed off Jamaica for a few days. It would 
be advisable for you to occupy the oft"-shore 
ground mentioned in my instructions to Cap- 



A Romantic Cruise. 255 

tain Ridgely, now in possession of Commander 
Robert Davis Wyman, during the dark days 
of the moon coming, unless you have such other 
information as will call you to more important 
duty on the ground pointed out in the instruc- 
tions recently sent you. Just at this time it 
seems to me all-important to prevent the block- 
ade-runners from affording any aid or comfort 
to the rebels, and the presence of the Rhode 
Island and Santiago de Ctcba may be of service 
in checking them from going forward, if not in 
capturing them. The dark nights of the moon 
should be the limit of your stay on the grounds 
to the northward. You will leave a report on 
board of the National Gtmrd for me in regard 
to your action, that I may get early advice from 
you in case of my touching there, which seems 
to me very uncertain just now." 

On May 14th the Rhode Island made the isl- 
and of San Salvador, and Commander Trench- 
ard took occasion to visit the spot where Co- 
lumbus was supposed to have first placed foot 
in the New World. At 9.30 a.m.. May 1 5th, the 
gunboat came to anchor off Fortune Island. 
Commander Trenchard describes his visit on 
shore at this quaint place, and his reception by 
the pompous, but distressingly impecunious, 



256 The Old Navy. 

officials of the town at some length. He first 
notes that he received a salute of three guns, 
underscoring the " three guns," as if calling 
attention to the number. The facts in the 
case seem to have been that the well-meaning 
islanders ran out of powder after the third dis- 
charge. The Rhode Island, however, promptly 
returned the salute with three guns. Com- 
mander Trenchard says : " The Justice and 
the Collector of the port came on board to pay 
their respects, there being no U nited States con- 
sul there. After this visit we went on shore, 
and returned the visit of the local officials. 
The justice, or magistrate, as he is called with 
us, gave us a very nice dinner, and the lady of 
the Collector, Mrs. Johnson (the only white 
lady in the town), honored us with an invita- 
tion for the evening, but as I had fixed upon 
5 P.M. to leave the place we could not accept. 
The Collector insisted upon our visiting him in 
order that he might have the pleasure of toast- 
ing His Excellency, A. Lincoln, President of 
the United States. After doing ourselves this 
honor we put back to the ship, and got un- 
der way soon after 5 p.m., very favorably im- 
pressed over our reception at Fortune Island." 
In passing out, the Rhode Island was saluted 



A Romantic Cruise. 257 

yN\\\\ four guns, a supply of powder very prob- 
ably having arrived from the interior. 

On May i6th, the officers of the Rhode 
Island exchanged visits with the United 
States consul at Great Magua, Mr. Sargent, 
and were entertained by the American resi- 
dents there. The cruiser proceeded to sea on 
the same day and ran into Cape Haytien, 
where the Santiago de Cuba and the store-ship 
National Guard were found. Shortly after- 
ward the gunboat Chippewa steamed into 
port. 

On the evening of May i8th, while in this 
port, Mr. Eytinge, of the United States supply- 
vessel Shepard Knapp, came aboard the Rhode 
Island and reported that his ship had run 
aground at the entrance of the harbor, and was 
in a perilous position. At half-past ten o'clock 
that night, the Chippewa was ordered to go to 
the assistance of the stranded vessel, and at 8.30 
o'clock on the following morning the Santiago 
de Cuba also steamed down to the scene of 
trouble. The cylinder-head of the Rhode 
Isla7id being off for repairs at the time, made 
it impossible for Commander Trenchard to 
assist, but he sent his launch with a kedge and 
hawser. The Shepard Knapp was found to 



258 The Old Navy. 

be so hard and fast aground that the united 
efforts of the Santiago de Cuba and CJiippczua 
were insufficient to move her. " It was then 
decided," wrote Commander Trenchard, " to 
lighten her as speedily as possible, and for that 
purpose lighters were despatched in tow of the 
CJiippciua. The steamers returned and an- 
chored for the night." 

" Wednesday, May 20th, dawned with favor- 
able weather. At 10 a.m. we got under way, 
and running out, anchored near the stranded 
ship. I sent a boat out to take soundings, 
and then shifted our berth nearer to the 
Shepard Kiiapp. The Chippewa followed us 
out. We got out a 13-inch hawser to the Shep- 
ard Knapp, and sent a number of our crew on 
board to aid in lightening her. At high water 
we made an attempt with a full head of steam 
to haul the vessel off, but without success. 
We remained by the ship during the night, 
keeping a constant strain upon the hawsers. 
The Shepard Knapp made a good deal of 
water, the wind freshening in the night. 

" Thursday, May 21st. 

" Wind and weather the same. The Sa^itiago 
de Cuba, the Chippewa, and the Rhode Isla7id 



A Romantic Cruise. 259 

all engaged in assisting the stranded vessel to 
get off. A large number of the Rhode Island's 
men were still at work on board. The Santiago 
de Cuba and the Rhode Isla?id made another 
attempt at high water to haul the vessel off, and 
after having parted the largest and best hawsers, 
we were compelled, with great reluctance, to 
abandon the attempt. A board of officers 
composed of Commanders Wyman, Andrew 
Bryson, and Lieutenant Farquhar was directed 
to examine the vessel, and ascertain if any 
further plan could be fixed upon that might 
result in getting the vessel off, and in the 
event of not being able to do this they were to 
suggest what had better be done with the 
vessel. Everything of value had been re- 
moved, but the ship had been imbedded nearly 
two feet in the coral reef. The board decided 
that no further means at our command would 
avail in getting the Shepard Knapp off, and 
recommended that as soon as everything could 
be removed, that her hull be turned over to 
our consul to be disposed of upon the best 
terms possible for the government, and that 
the three steamers, whose presence was so 
greatly required elsewhere, be no longer de- 
tained at this place. The steamers returned 



26o The Old Navy. 

late in the afternoon and anchored off Cape 
Haytien. 

" Friday, May 22d. 

" The CJiippciva proceeded to sea. We 
hauled along the National Guard and resumed 
coaling-. One of our boats in charge of the 
master was sent to examine into the condition 
of the Shepard Knapp, and report to me. 

" May =3d. 

" I sent the second cutter out to the Shepard 
Knapp and found that she had bilged during 
the night and that her crew were still engaged in 
stripping her of everything that could be re- 
moved. We transferred the chronometers of 
the S/upard Knapp to the Santiago dc Cuba, 
and the other stores saved by us to the 
National Guard. At i r.M. the Santiago 
dc Cuba proceeded to sea, and the Rhode 
Island steamed out at 6.30 p.m." 

In this run Commander Trenchard found 
that a joke had been perpetrated upon him by 
a British skipper. The first three days out, 
the Rhode Island experienced heavy tropical 
rains and light breezes. At 5.15 a.m.. May 
2Sth, the smoke of a steamer was discovered 
to the south and east, which proved to be the 
Chippezca, to which vessel was transferred 



A Romantic Cruise. 261 

Charles Belknap, an engineer's yeoman, for 
passage to the Port Royal Naval Hospital. 
At half-past seven that evening, Commander 
Trenchard boarded the English schooner Ade- 
laide, from New York bound to Eleuthera. The 
master of this schooner said that he had just 
passed a schooner steering north northeast, 
which was " heavily armed." Commander 
Trenchard promptly gave chase in that direc- 
tion in hope of coming up with the supposed 
Confederate cruiser or privateer. Having 
reached a position, in which the schooner was 
thought to be, at 1 1 p.m. that night, Commander 
Trenchard banked his fires, and waited for day- 
light to reveal the whereabouts of his antici- 
pated prize. Friday, May 29, 1863, dawned with 
light airs from the southeast and a clear sky. 
Shortly after daylight a schooner was discovered 
a short distance from the steamer, which was 
immediately recognized as the one reported 
by the skipper of the Adelaide. The Rhode 
Island in a jiffy was bounding after the chase, 
but on coming up with it the American officers 
were much chagrined to find that instead of 
being an armed Confederate privateer, she 
was the English schooner Helena, from Eleu- 
thera for New York, laden with fruit. 



CHAPTER XIX. 



IMPORTANT CAPTURES. 



THE R/iodc Isltifid continued her cruise 
under easy steam or sail, boarding a 
number of vessels and speaking others. Early 
on the morning of May 30th, while near Eleu- 
thera Island, she caught sight of a steamer 
which, on closer inspection, presented a very 
suspicious appearance. The weather at the 
time was clear and pleasant, with a light breeze 
from the southeast. Commander Trenchard 
ordered on a full head of steam and gave chase. 
Soon the little Rhode Island wTis pounding the 
ocean swells with her noisy paddle-wheels, and 
perceptibly gained on the chase. The nearer 
Commander Trenchard got to the stranger the 
more suspicious she appeared, and this only 
whetted his desire to close on her. It was not 
lone before the island of Eleuthera was 



Important Captures. 263 

sighted, and it was feared the chase might run 
ashore. "By 12.30 p.m.," wrote Commander 
Trenchard, " we hoisted our colors and fired a 
blank cartridge. As the chase paid no atten- 
tion to it, we fired a shell across her bow, and 
as she did not obey this summons to heave-to, 
we began firing directly into her with our long- 
est-range guns, but did little damage. At 
about 1.45 P.M., our broadside guns being in 
range, we opened with them, and soon nearly 
every shot told. We soon noticed something 
like smoke issuing from the steamer, which we 
supposed was from the result of our shells set- 
ting her on fire. At 12.15 p.m. we ceased fir- 
ing, and fifteen minutes later, the chase ran on 
shore and began landing the persons in her by 
means of her boats. At 3 p.m. we anchored 
on the edge of the reef some two and a half 
miles from James Point, island of Eleuthera. 
At the time we ceased firing the chase was 
about three and a half miles from the shore, and 
we a mile and a quarter outside of her. I sent 
Lieutenant Farquhar in a boat to ascertain the 
name and nationality of the stranded vessel. 
He did this and on his return reported that he 
read on the stern of the vessel Margaret and 
Jessie of Charleston, S. C. Lieutenant Far- 



264 The Old Navy. 

quhar had been directed not to board the 
steamer. 

As CommanderTrenchard afterward learned, 
the firing- on the Margaret a?id Jessie was at- 
tended with far more serious circumstances than 
he anticipated. A year later he received the 
following order from Secretary Welles, dated 

" Washington, April 2, 1864. 

" A naval court of inquiry has been ordered 
to convene on Thursday next, the 17th inst., 
at the Navy Yard, Boston, for the purpose of 
inquiring into an alleged violation of British 
territorial jurisdiction by the United States 
steamer, Rhode Island, under your command, 
on or about the 30th May last, in chasing and 
firing at the steamer Margaret and Jessie in 
British waters." 

The trial was held, Rear-Admiral Samuel 
Breese presiding. A strong case was pre- 
sented by the plaintiff, and it began to look 
like a very serious matter for Commander 
Trenchard. Finally, as a clinching evidence 
that the Rhode Island was within the three- 
mile limit when she fired on the Margaret 
a7id Jessie, the counsel for the plaintiff 
triumphantly produced a cannon-ball which, 
he declared, had been fired by the Rhode 



Important Captures. 265 

Island, and had been found on shore by the 
inhabitants. The defense proved, however, 
that at that time the Rhode Island did not 
carry a gun of the caHbre corresponding to 
the cannon-ball placed in evidence. The 
court speedily adjourned after this, exculpat- 
ing Commander Trenchard of all blame. On 
November 5, 1864, this same Margaret and 
Jessie was captured while endeavoring to run 
the blockade, off Wilmington, by the Keystone 
State, Commander Trenchard's first command 
in the war. 

Leaving the Margaret and Jessie to her 
fate, the Rhode Island again got under way, 
and resumed her cruise that evening. The 
next day she passed Alico Lighthouse, and 
between seven and eight o'clock in the morn- 
ing, discovered a bark at anchor near Great 
Stump Key. On sighting this, she got under 
way, and hearing that the Oreto {Florida) had 
gone to Stump Key, Commander Trenchard 
supposed it might be her or her consort, the 
Lapwing, and so gave chase. The vessel 
proved to be the Restless. Overtaking her, 
he brought her out to the anchorage and sup- 
plied her with water, of which she was in 
need. 



266 The Old Navy. 

On the following day, Commander Trench- 
ard boarded an American bark from Portland, 
Me., and transferred Acting-M aster King and 
his prize crew to the Restless for passage to 
Key West, in order that they might join the 
Tioga. At 10.30 A.M. the Rhode Island took 
the Restless in tow, and when off Great Isaac 
Light, cast her off and resumed her cruise. 

Speaking the Sicilian bark Concertina, from 
Havana for New York, June 2d, the Rhode 
Island banked her fires and leisurely cruised, 
in the hopes of falling in with another Con- 
federate vessel, or better yet, with the Ala- 
bama. For several days beautiful weather was 
experienced, and a number of vessels were 
boarded or spoken. Commander Trenchard 
notes : 

" Monday, June 8th. 

" Liofht breezes from the southeast and 
pleasant. At 6 a.m. spread our fires and 
gave chase to a sail which proved to be the 
American ship Seth Sprague, of and from New 
York for New Orleans. At midday fell in 
with the Sa?itiago de Ctcba, four days out from 
Cape Haytien. Commander Wyman paid us 
a visit, and received from her the crew of the 
Shepard Knapp to complete our complement. 



Important Captures. 267 

At 3 P.M., parted company with the Santiago 
de Cuba and stood on our course." 

At midnight, June 9th, the lookout of the 
Rhode Island reported the light of a stranger. 
Commander Trenchard hastened on deck, and 
ordered chase to be given. About this time, 
the stranger seems to have discovered the 
Rhode Island's Hght and made efforts to es- 
cape. This only increased Commander Trench- 
ard's desire to learn more about the vessel. 
At I A.M. he was sufficiently near to make out 
the lights of the stranger, when he became 
satisfied that she was a mail-steamer, upon 
which he gave up the chase, much to the relief, 
probably, of the commander of the steamer, 
who had been informed that the Alabama was 
cruising in that vicinity. 

Most of the next thirty-six hours were spent 
by the Rhode Island with banked fires. At 
10 A.M. on June nth, having sighted a sail, 
she started ahead under moderate steam, and 
overhauled the English schooner Dandy, four- 
teen days from New York for Harbor Island. 
At sunset the Rhode Island 2ig3i\w banked fires, 
and for the next twenty-four hours drifted aim- 
lessly about on the ocean. On June 14th, she 
anchored off Watlings Island, where Mr. 



268 The Old Navy. 

Naime, the resident official, came on board 
and Commander Trenchard accompanied him 
on shore, " and the ladies of his family came 
on board afterward and visited the steamer." 
From this place the RJiode Island put into 
Cape Haytien, where Third Assistant Engi- 
neer French, being on the sick list, took pas- 
sage for Boston in a schooner. Captain 
Eytinge, of the Shepard Kjiapp, also left the 
Rhode Island at this place, taking passage for 
the United States in a brig. 

The Rhode Isla7id was engaged in coaling 
at Cape Haytien until June 26th, when she 
put to sea. On June 23d the United States 
cruiser Alabama, having Captain Wilkes on 
board, had touched at the port and was saluted 
with fifteen guns by the Rhode Isla7id. Out- 
side the harbor the Rhode Island took in tow 
the chartered steamer Hathaway, which had 
on board a portion of the crew of the ill-fated 
Shepard Knapp together with her remaining 
officers, armament, etc. When well clear of 
the land the Rhode Island cast off her tow and 
the two vessels parted company. The Rhode 
Island made for Mariguana Island, anchoring 
at 6 P.M. for the night off its western extremity. 

At ten o'clock that night, June 28th, Com- 



Important Captures. 269 

mander Trenchard made the signal and rockets 
of the steamer Ocean Qicee7i, and after board- 
ing her and receiving the mails, he kept her 
in company as escort. At 9.50 a.m. the fol- 
lowing day both steamers were stopped by 
signals from the land, and on sending a boat 
ashore it was learned through Mr. Sargent, 
the American consul at Magua, that Mr. 
Gislin, manager of an American company at 
Navassct, had been deserted by his men and 
left very ill, his situation being considered so 
critical that if not speedily relieved his life 
might be sacrificed. Acting on this informa- 
tion, Commander Trenchard hastened to the 
scene of trouble. Between 3 and 4 p.m., when 
in the Windward Passage, he met a Sardin- 
ian frigate standing to the south. At 5.30 
A.M. on the following day he parted company 
with Ocean Queen and stood over for the 
Island of Navassa, and at 7.20 a.m. sent a boat 
on shore to ascertain the fate of Mr. Gislin. 
On the return of the boat it was found that he 
had left some two days before, for Great 
Magua, in a schooner sent to Navassa by Mr. 
Sargent to convey two men who were to look 
out for the interests of the company, and to 
bring back Mr. Gislin if he was able to be 



2 70 



The Old Navy. 



moved. Learning of the welfare of that man, 
the Rhode Island resumed her cruise and on 
July I St ran into Cape Haytien where she 
found the Mercedita and the National Guard. 
The Glorious Fourth, 1863, found the Rhode 
Islaiid at Cape Haytien. Commander Trench- 
ard describes the celebration of the day as 
follows : 

"Saturday, July 4, 1863. 

" Light variable breezes, clear and pleasant 
weather. At sunrise dressed the ship with 
our flags at each masthead, gaff, and staff, and 
with all the signal flags, making quite a pretty 
display. At meridian we fired a national salute 
in honor of the anniversary of American Inde- 
pendence, the Mercedita participating in the 
same way and the National Guard as well as 
the Mercedita bedecked their rio-crincr with 
flags. Captains Green and Ransom lunched 
with me, and Captain and Mrs. Spencer took 
tea with me. At 9 p.m. we illuminated the 
ship in honor of the anniversary." 

Remaining in Cape Haytien until July 6th, 
the Rhode Island got under way and resumed 
her cruise among the islands, running down to 
Maraguana so as to meet the California mail- 
steamer Champion and escort her through the 



Important Captures. 271 

"cruiser-infested" seas. "At 5 p.m.," wrote 
Commander Trenchard, " we fired a rocket 
and soon afterward got under way and ran out 
five miles and banked fire. At 6 a.m., July loth, 
we were boarded by a boat from the United 
States consul for news." The Rhode Island 
escorted the Champion as far as Navassa, 
when she parted company and returned to her 
cruising grounds. 

Touching at Cape Haytien for coal, July 
1 2th, the Rhode Island passed south on the 
afternoon of July 17th, and anchored off the 
western side of the Island of Maraguana. 
Here a quantity of sweet potatoes was taken 
aboard, and at 10 p.m., July i8th, Commander 
Trenchard got under way to meet the mail- 
steamer Northern Light, from New York to 
Aspinwall. Two hours after midnight the 
steamer was sighted, and, after boarding her, 
the Rhode Island escorted her southward as 
far as Navassa. From the people of the mail- 
steamer Commander Trenchard for the first 
time learned of the fall of Vicksburg and the 
battle of Gettysburg. On the 20th of July, 
Third-Assistant-Engineer R. N. Flynn of the 
Rhode Island died, and his body was com- 
mitted to the deep on the following day. The 



2 72 The Old Navy. 

Rhode Is/and then returned to Cape Haytien, 
where the Ticondcroga, bearing the flag of 
Rear-Admiral Lardner, arrived July 26th. 

In company with the yiniiata the Rhode 
Island left Cape Haytien July 26th, to escort 
the mail-steamer Ocean Queen. On July 30th 
the Rhode Island met with one of the peculiar 
dangers of the sea. The day dawned pleasant, 
with light breezes from the northeast. At 
half-past three in the afternoon a waterspout 
was discovered moving directly upon the ship. 
Commander Trenchard immediately sent his 
crew to quarters and fired a shot from his 12- 
pound howitzer and also from one of the 8- 
inch guns at it. The accuracy of the Rhode 
Island's crunners was never better demonstra- 
ted than on this occasion. Both missiles struck 
the spout quarterly and had the effect of 
breaking it up. At the time the spout was 
sighted the Rhode Island was unable to q^et 
out of the way, of the danger as her wheels had 
been lashed for the purpose of removing the 
cylinder head, which was in need of repairs 
Had it not been for the excellent marksman- 
ship of her gunners, the gallant little cruiser 
might have had an unpleasant if not dangerous 
experience. It was not until twelve hours 



Important Captures. 273 

afterward that the cylinder was replaced and 
the steamer again got under way. In the 
next few days the Rhode Island boarded a 
number of American and English vessels, but 
finding their papers correct, she did not detain 
them. Commander Trenchard notes : 

" Sunday, August 2d. 

" At 10 A.M. called all hands to muster and 
read the proclamation of his Excellency the 
President of the United States, setting apart 
Thursday, August 6th, as a national Thanks- 
giving in commemoration of our recent victo- 
ries. Performed divine service. We were 
lying with banked fires until 1.20 p.m. At 8 
P.M. banked them again. At midnight boarded 
the English schooner Belle, sixteen days from 
New York for Vera Cruz." 

Early August 4th, Commander Trenchard 
discovered black smoke off the port horizon, 
and spreading his fires stood for the stranger 
under full steam, but as the smoke soon dis- 
appeared he gave up the chase. Commander 
Trenchard writes : 

" Wednf.sday, August 5th. 

" Lying under banked fires. Started ahead 
about 9 A.M. and overhauled the English brig 



2 74 



The Old Navy. 



Rosina Claypolc, sixty-four days out from Lon- 
don for Nassau. After this we went to quarters 
for target practice with the great guns, firing 
two rounds with the port battery and one with 
the starboard after division. We ceased firing 
earher than we intended at the suggestion of the 
medicalof^icer, who feared that the noise might 
have a bad effect on the sick. He had previ- 
ously expressed an opinion to the contrary. 
The target firing proved highly creditable." 



CHAPTER XX. 



CAPTURE OF THE " CRONSTADT. 



A 



T eight o'clock on the morning of August 
1 3th the Rhode Island started ahead un- 
der easy steam, and at 11 a.m. boarded the 
schooner W. H. Tiers, from Philadelphia to 
New Orleans, laden with coal. " Her com- 
mander," said Trenchard, " very politely sent 
me a very fine ham. Thanks to him, Captain 
Hoffman, for it." At 2.30 i'.m. the English 
brig Bayeas, from New York to Nassau, was 
boarded, after which the steamer banked fire. 
On Sunday, August i6th, the Rhode Island 
made one of the most important captures in 
her career. The day broke with light breezes 
from the southeast, but about midday it be- 
came cloudy and squally. Shortly after church 
services had been held, chase was given to a 
steamer which had every appearance of being 

275 



2yo The Old Navy. 

a blockade-runner. As the e^unboat gained, 
the chase ran toward the land, and it was no- 
ticed tiiat a boat was lowered, and several men. 
i^ettin^;" into it. pulled tor the shore some miles 
distant. rhe\- were the chiet eui^ineer and tive 
of the crew. l^vertakino tlie vessel. Com- 
mander Trenchard fcnuul her to be the C^/\v/- 
sfii.:.'. a blockade-runner from Wihnini^ton 
bound for Nassau. C^^n examination it was 
found that she had a car^o of ooi bales of cot- 
ton. 5^;o tierces and boxes of tobacco, and 270 
barrels of turpentine. The vessel was roi^is- 
tered at ro- tons, the value of the cari^o beiuL^- 
$55.CHX^. which, with the vessel, made a total 
valuation of $2cx^.ooo. Commander Frenchard 
notes : " She had an unusual capacity tor so 
small a vessel. She was four years old and 
her two engines were two years old. Tut a 
prize crew on board and took her in tow tor 
the niglu. steeriui^ to tlie north." 

At 7 .\.M. on the following; day, the K/ioiic' 
Islaptd banked fires and ^ot the Cronsfini/t ready 
for her vova^e to boston bv putlirii^ coal, pro- 
visions, and water on board. " Iransferred 
Acting;- Master Williams." notes Commander 
Trenchard. " to the steamer as prize-master. 
Master's- Mate Watson, and Assistant-En- 



Capture of the "Cronstadt." 277 

gineer Lewis to assist Mr. Williams, and Act- 
ing- Master's-Mate Rogers for passage to Bos- 
ton Naval Hospital, together with some five 
or six in the crew. Mr. Jones, the first mate, 
the purser, and three of the crew of the Cron- 
stadt were sent North in her to be retained as 
witnesses. Mr. Dobson, the owner and pas- 
senger, and Mr. Jefferson, passenger, together 
with the remainder of those on board the 
Cronstadt, vjQve. transferred to this vessel to be 
landed at the most convenient place. Parted 
company with the Cronstadt at 4.20 p.m., cheer- 
ing her on her way, while we resumed our 
cruise." Commander Trenchard concludes his 
account of the successful capture by noting : 
" Lieutenant Farquhar dined with me in honor 
of the day." The Rhode Island ran to Harbor 
Island August i8th, where she landed her pris- 
oners. 

On the afternoon of August 25th, Com- 
mander Trenchard anchored off a settlement 
on the western side of Watlings Island, and 
Mr. Naime, the official in charge, came on 
board and made him a formal visit. Touch- 
ing at various islands the Rhode Island re- 
turned to Cape Haytien, where she found 
Captain Wilkes's flagship the Ticonderoga,v^\\\\. 



-VS The Old Navy. 

the yuniata, the Santiago dc Cuba, and the 
National Guard. Leaving this place two days 
later, and passing Porto Rico, the R/iodc Is/and 
came to anchor at St. Thomas for the purpose 
of repairing her boilers. On August 31st, Mr. 
Edgar, the United States consul, visited the 
ship and was saluted with seven guns. On 
September 7th, Commander Trenchard notes : 
" Called on Captain Sawyer of the Royal mail- 
steamer Tasmania;!. Dined with Mr. Robert 
Swift, of Philadelphia, who is a merchant in this 
place. The Governor, our consul, and several 
other crentlemen were amon^: the ouests." On 
the following day Commander Trenchard dined 
with the Governor. 

The Rhode Island left St. Thomas Septem- 
ber 1 6th, having on board, as passengers, En- 
signs Augustus G. Kellogg, Ira Harris, Jr., 
Walter \V. Maclay, and A. S. Crowningshield, 
of the United States Navy. The gunboat ar- 
rived at Cape Haytien a few days later, where 
she was visited by Rear- Admiral James L. 
Lardner. Several invalid sailors and men 
whose time had expired were transferred to the 
Ticonderoga for passage home. 

On September 2Sth, Rear-Admiral Lardner 
changed his flag to the Rhode Island, being sa- 



Capture of the "Cronstadt." 279 

luted with fifteen guns. He got to sea Octo- 
ber 1 2th, and ran down to St. Thomas, after 
which he made for the islands of Nevis and 
Basse Terre. He anchored under the lee of the 
island of Maria Galante, where he banked fires 
for the night. The next morning he ran into 
Basse Terre, and the Admiral and Commander 
Trenchard went ashore. Touching at various 
ports, \h^ Rhode Isla^id, about 1 1 a.m., Novem- 
ber I St, when off the port of St. Johns, Porto 
Rico, picked up a boat which was adrift with a 
man in it, who proved to be a fugitive from 
justice. At 11.45 ^'^- Commander Trenchard 
boarded a Spanish schooner bound to St. 
Johns and turned over the boat and man to 
her. 

Running into Cape Haytien November 3d, 
where the Spanish steam frigate Blanco saluted 
Rear-Admiral Lardner with fifteen guns, the 
Rhode Island experienced one of those sad ac- 
cidents which sometimes occur in a man-of-war. 
Commander Trenchard notes : " In returning 
the Spaniard's salute, just after the last gun had 
been fired, one of the guns was accidentally dis- 
charged, blowing a seaman by the name of 
Lewis A. Horton overboard. He was picked 
up by a boat and brought aboard, but both his 



28o The Old Navy. 

arms were found to be so much shattered that 
amputation was necessary." Horton had a sin- 
gularly romantic experience in the Civil War. 
At the outbreak of hostilities he enlisted in the 
navy as a volunteer and was shipwrecked on 
the Bahamas. He entered another ship and 
was placed in charge of a prize with orders to 
make for the nearest port. In carrying out 
these instructions he was taken prisoner and 
confined in Libby Prison. When exchanged 
he enlisted in the Rhode Isla7id ]\ist as she was 
about to tow the Mo7iitor to Charleston. When 
the ironclad went down he was one of the boat's 
crew that became separated from the gunboat 
and for several days were tossed about on the 
ocean. At the time of the accident by which 
he lost his arms Horton was engaged to be mar- 
ried to a young woman in Maine. On the close 
of the war he returned to his home, but the 
young woman refused to marry him, remarking 
that she did not care to support a cripple. Her 
sister overheard the remark and, stepping for- 
ward, her eyes flashing with indignation, offered 
to marry the man. They were married, and 
the story of their remarkable courtship was told 
for many years afterward. Strange as it may 
seem, Horton did not receive a pension until 



Capture of the "Cronstadt" 281 

1888, the objection raised by the g-overnment 
officials being that his arms were not blown off 
in action. The objection seems trivial when 
so many less-deserving survivors of the Civil 
War have received pensions. 

On November 24th, Rear-Admiral Lardner 
transferred his flag to the Powhatan, again re- 
ducing the Rhode Island to the station of an 
ordinary cruiser. She left Cape Haytien No- 
vember 27th, to meet the mail-steamer Cham- 
pio7i at the usual place off Maraguana, but a 
defect in the main steam-pipes of the gunboat 
compelled her to return to Cape Haytien. 

From this time until March 17, 1864, the 
Rhode Island was engaged chiefly in escorting 
the mail-steamers through the channels of the 
West Indies, where they were most exposed to 
the attacks of Confederate cruisers. In the mid- 
dle of March she received orders to return 
home, leaving Cape Haytien March 19th. 
Three days out the gunboat experienced a 
terrific storm, which she rode out in safety, and 
making the American coast, she arrived in Bos- 
ton on March 28th. In her cruise in the West 
Indies she had boarded more than fifty vessels. 




CHAPTER XXI. 



CONVOY SERVICE. 



T 



HE fate of the Monitor, which foundered 
on the night of December 31, 1862, 
near Cape Hatteras, had made the Government 
adopt unusual precautions when sending other 
ironclads from one part of the coast to another, 
so that when the Rhode Isla7id was ordered to 
tow the new monitor Monadnock from Boston 
to the seat of war, the steamers Massasoit and 
Little Addie were ordered to accompany her. 
The necessity for this precaution was forcibly 
shown on the second day out, when an acci- 
dent occurred which might have resulted in a 
serious disaster. At half-past four o'clock, on 
the afternoon of October 7, 1864, the Rhode 
Island got under way from the Boston Navy 
Yard and stood down the bay, accompanied by 
the Massasoit and the Little Addie. Off 

2S2 



Convoy Service. 283 

Boston Light they found the Monadnock under 
the command of Captain Berrian, who had 
preceded the Rhode Island down the bay. 
The Monadnock was the monitor, which, soon 
after the close of the war, rounded Cape Horn 
and demonstrated that the wooden navies of 
the world were doomed. 

Taking the ironclad in tow. Commander 
Trenchard immediately put to sea with his 
convoy in company. The towing of a heavy 
vessel by another on the open sea is always 
attended with considerable danger. This dan- 
ger is increased when the tow is a lumbering 
ironclad of the original monitor type. The 
unequal rising and falling of the waves be- 
tween two ships connected by a tow-line 
brings a severe strain on the cable at one mo- 
ment and at the next it may be entirely slack. 
Then the action of a heavy ocean wave may 
bring such a strain on the line as to break it, 
the ends flying back sometimes and striking 
the decks with terrific force. Should an acci- 
dent compel the escorting vessel to run along- 
side of the monitor she would be in great danger 
of having her hull crushed in by being thrown 
against the iron sides of the ship. 

It was the consciousness of this danger that 



284 The Old Navy. 

caused the commanders of the vessels of this 
squadron to watch the weather with unusual 
anxiety. Even before leaving port the barom- 
eter had been carefully noted, and had it given 
indications of an approaching storm, the de- 
parture of the vessels would have been post- 
poned. But as everything gave promise of 
fair weather, the little squadron ventured out 
on the waters of the treacherous Atlantic. 
During the first night out, there was a light 
wind, and the sea was comparatively smooth, 
but as the men well knew that these favorable 
conditions might, in less than an hour, be 
changed into a howling tempest, every effort 
was made to hasten the voyage. By keeping 
up a full head of steam in both the Rhode 
Island and the Monadnock they averaged eight 
knots an hour. 

Saturday, October 8th, dawned with threat- 
ening weather. The light breeze from the 
northwest at daybreak grew stronger, gradually 
whipping the smooth sea into white-capped 
waves, while the dark masses of fleeting clouds 
high up in the heaven gave indication of an ap- 
proaching gale. Fearing that they might be 
overtaken by a storm. Commander Trenchard 
determined to run into the nearest shelter, which 



Convoy Service. 285 

was Holmes's Hole, and wait there until the sea 
had subsided. Realizing the danger of their 
position, the commanders did not slacken their 
speed, although the increasing sea made the 
strain on the tow-line dangerous. Shortly 
before noon an accident occurred which showed 
under what a severe strain the Rhode Islafid 
had been placed. While preparations were 
under way for the mid-day meal, the Rhode 
Islanders were startled by a loud crackling 
noise. The tow-line suddenly slackened, and 
being deprived of its guidance the monitor 
quickly fell into the trough of the sea. At 
that time the special preparations for fitting 
the Monadnock as an ocean cruiser had not 
been made, and her officers immediatly exerted 
themselves to bring the ironclad's head to sea. 
On investigation, it was found that the iron 
bits in the Rhode Islafid, around which the tow- 
line had been wound, had given way under the 
strain, which was so great as to smash them 
into several pieces, one striking the binnacle 
and completely demolishing it. Noticing that 
something was wrong, the commanders of the 
Massasoit and the Little Addie ran down to 
proffer assistance. Every effort was made to 
get the tow-line in order, and in a few minutes 



286 The Old Navy. 

the vessels were again under way. By this 
time, the wind had increased to a heavy gale, 
and although it was imperative to gain shelter 
as soon as possible, it was deemed prudent to 
relax the strain on the tow-line by reducing the 
speed of the vessels. All four vessels were 
now pitching and rolling about in the heavy 
sea in an alarming fashion, while wave after 
wave broke completely over the exposed decks 
of the monitor and at times the spray dashed 
high over her turret, almost concealing the 
little craft from view. In this manner and 
with the expectation that every moment some 
vessel might be disabled, the squadron slowly 
made its way toward Holmes's Hole, arriving 
there about sunset. 

Most of the night it blew a terrific gale, and 
as the officers and men of the little squadron 
heard the wind shrieking through the rigging, 
and causing even the protected waters of 
Holmes's Hole to roll and break against the 
sides of their vessel, they had cause to con- 
gratulate themselves that they were not on the 
dark sea with the cumbersome monitor tug- 
ging and dragging at them. About midnight 
the worst of the gale had blown over, and tow- 
ard morning it had subsided into a gentle 



Convoy Service. 287 

breeze. It was some hours later, however, 
before the waves had moderated sufficiently to 
enable the vessels to continue the voyage, and 
even then. Commander Trenchard would not 
have ventured out, had he not realized how 
necessary it was to get the ironclad to her 
destination as soon as possible. 

All that night and the following morning, 
October loth, the wind was fresh from the 
southwest, and although at one time it looked 
as if it might again come on to a gale, the 
steamers held their course hoping to reach 
New York without further delay. The sea 
continued rough, and between two and three 
o'clock in the afternoon Commander Trench- 
ard noticed that the Little Addie acted as if 
she were in trouble. During the gale of the 
8th, she had behaved badly, and at one time 
ffears for her safety were entertained. After 
leaving Holmes's Hole, although the sea had 
moderated considerably, she was observed to 
be making bad weather of it, and had it not 
been too hazardous Commander Trenchard 
would have sent a boat aboard of her. A little 
before three o'clock the quarter-master called 
Commander Trenchard's attention to a signal 
of distress the Little Addie was making. The 



288 The Old Navy. 

Massasoit was directed to run down to her ; 
she learned that some accident had befallen 
the machinery. As it was soon repaired the 
vessels resumed their course into Long Island 
Sound, and about sunset anchored off White- 
stone, where they remained for the night. 
On the following morning, October nth, they 
passed through Hell Gate, and about noon 
arrived safely at the Navy Yard. 

Late on the afternoon of Friday, October 
14, 1864, while the Rhode Islcuid was in the 
Brooklyn Navy Yard preparing to renew her 
course south, the commandant of the Yard 
received a telegram from Washington with 
instructions to send the Rhode Island down to 
Aspinwall immediately, and to escort the mail- 
steamer Costa Rica from that port to New 
York. It was learned afterward that the Gov- 
ernment had received secret information of a 
Confederate attempt to capture this steamer, 
and as she had important despatches and a 
considerable sum of money on board, besides a 
valuable cargo, she would have been a valuable 
prize for the Confederates. The mail-steamer 
Ariel, belonging to the same line and running 
between the same ports, had been captured 
only a short time before by the famous Ala- 



Convoy Service. 289 

bama, and was released only after everything 
of value had been taken out of her and bonds 
had been given for a heavy ransom. It was 
of the utmost Importance to the Government 
to maintain this line of steamers, and when 
news came of a plot being on foot to capture 
the Costa Rica, the first available gunboat was 
despatched to convoy her. 

A few minutes after receiving his instruc- 
tions, Commander Trenchard was ready, and 
at half-past ten o'clock that night the Rhode 
Island drew out of the Navy Yard and, steam- 
ing through the Narrows, put to sea, leaving 
the pilot aboard the light-ship. On the third 
day out the brig Monticello, five days from 
Havana, for Camden, Me., was spoken. Mod- 
erate breezes and an easy sea were experi- 
enced nearly all through the passage, and the 
little gunboat sped southward, making the 
island of Maraguana at daybreak October 20th, 
and Cape Maji in the afternoon. Nearly all 
the 2 1st of October the island of San Domingo 
was in sight, and at six o'clock on the morning 
of October 24th, land twelve miles off Porto 
Bello was made, the town of Aspinwall ap- 
pearing two hours later. The Costa Rica was 
found at her moorings ready for sea. While 



290 The Old Navy. 

waiting for the RJiode Island to coal, Com- 
mander Trenchard exchanged visits with Com- 
modore Charles H. Bell, Colonel Totten, 
Captain Daveport, Paymaster I. W. Eldridge, 
Acting-Master C. A. Crocker, of the St. 
Marys, and with the commander of the 
French war-steamer Saone. 

At half-past eleven o'clock, October 26th, the 
Rhode Island having completed her coaling, 
and having Commodore Bell and Fleet-Pay- 
master I. W, Eldridge on board as passengers, 
left Aspinwall, with the Costa Rica in com- 
pany, and began her trip northward, keeping 
a careful lookout for Confederate cruisers. 
About noon on the first day out. Commander 
Trenchard lost sight of his charge, and for 
some time afterward anxiety was felt for her 
safety. As the Costa Rica did not appear all 
that afternoon and night, it was feared that 
she would be separated from her escort for 
the rest of the passage. All efforts to find the 
steamer were unavailing until about noon, 
October 29th, when, off San Domingo, the 
missing mail-steamer again hove in sight, and 
the two vessels continued their voyage north- 
ward in company. 

A few minutes after eleven o'clock on the fol- 



Convoy Service. 291 

lowing morning, the smoke of a steamer 
standing to the south was reported from the 
lookout, and as a hostile warship was expected 
at any moment, due precautions were taken 
aboard the Rhode Island. But on closer in- 
spection the stranger proved to be the mail- 
steamer Ocean Qtceen, for Aspinwall. Between 
two and three o'clock that afternoon the smoke 
of another steamer was descried, and it was not 
long before she showed herself to be a war- 
ship. There was now a better prospect than 
ever of a " brush " with the enemy, and the 
plucky little Rhode Island bristled all over 
with fight. But, on exchanging signals, the 
stranger was found to be the United States 
steamer Grand Gulf, bound south. Passing 
a French bark at daylight, November ist, the 
Rhode Island and the Costa Rica continued on 
their northern course without further incident 
of note, arriving in New York November 4th, 
the Rhode Island going to the Brooklyn Navy 
Yard. 

The officers of the Rhode Island at this time 
were Commander Trenchard, Lieutenant Fred- 
erick E. Smith, Acting- Masters Charles O'Neil 
and Zera L. Tanner; Acting-Ensigns Robert 
Lampfare and Nicholas Pratt ; Assistant Sur- 



292 The Old Navy. 

geon Edward P. Bingham, Assistant Paymas- 
ter William Lee Darling, Acting-Chief En- 
gineer John F. McCutchen, Engineers Frank 
Henderson, James F. Powers, Charles W. 
Radell, Charles C. Black, William H. McCoy, 
John A. Hughes, W. I. Pattison, and Charles 
M. Rugg. 

The Rhode Island remained in New York 
several weeks on her return from this cruise, 
a part of which time she was at anchor in the 
East River opposite Wall Street, having her 
batteries trained so as to protect Government 
property from mob violence. Commander 
Trenchard had received from Rear-Admiral 
Paulding the following telegram: "You will 
proceed with the Rhode Island under your 
command, and anchor off the foot of Wall 
Street, prepared to protect, in case of neces- 
sity, the U. S. Custom-House, Sub-Treasury, 
and other public property ; also to render as- 
sistance, if called upon by the city authorities." 
Fortunately, the assistance of the Rhode Isl- 
anders was not necessary. 

On November 14th, the gunboat prepared 
to escort the Costa Rica on her return voyage 
to Aspinwall, but at the last moment Com- 
mander Trenchard was relieved of this duty 



Convoy Service. 293 

by the Galatea. It was not until the afternoon 
of November 21, 1864, that the RJiode Island 
dropped down to quarantine grounds off Staten 
Island, preparatory to getting to sea. Toward 
evening the weather became so threatening 
that it was decided to postpone her departure 
until the following morning. Early Tuesday, 
November 22d, she passed Sandy Hook, and 
discharging her pilot stood down the Jersey 
coast. All day long the mountains of New 
Jersey were visible from the decks of the little 
steamer, and as night came on the lights of 
Cape May were made out. 

Arriving at Hampton Roads at two o'clock 
on the following afternoon, Commander Trench- 
ard found the imposing National fleet which 
was assembling for an attack upon Fort Fisher, 
and of which the little RJiode Island was to 
form a part. After saluting Rear-Admiral 
David Dixon Porter, who commanded the 
naval portion of the great expedition, with 
thirteen guns, which was duly returned by 
Porter's flagship the Malvern, Commander 
Trenchard got into his gig and paid an official 
visit to Rear-Admiral Porter. In his journal 
Trenchard says : " Paid my official visit to the 
Admiral and besides meetinor him I had the 



294 The Old Navy. 

pleasure of meeting my very particular friend, 
Dr. Fox, fleet surgeon, also Paymaster Hies- 
kell. We found at Hampton Roads the largest 
fleet ever concentrated there, among which 
were the largest ships of our Navy, the Minne- 
sota, the Wabash, the PowJiatan, the Brooklyn^ 
the Ticonderoga, the Jtmiata, the TiLscarora, 
and many others." When Rear-Admiral Porter 
was assigned to this important command, he 
gave it to be understood by the commanders 
of the national vessels, that the economical use 
of powder was not to be considered in exercis- 
ing the men at the great guns, and the result 
was that from the time he arrived until the 
great fleet sailed, there was a constant booming 
of the thousand or more cannon in the fleet, 
which, together with the imposing array of war- 
ships, monitors, and transports, made a most 
spirited scene. 

As Commander Trenchard had been ordered 
to report at Beaufort, he sailed from Hampton 
Roads about dusk November 23d, and passing 
Cape Lookout Light at midnight, November 
24th, he anchored off Beaufort bar. The fol- 
lowing day having been designated by Presi- 
dent Lincoln for a national thanksgiving, the 
crew of the Rhode Island was assembled aft, 



Convoy Service. 295 

and divine service was held, after which the 
President's proclamation was read. 

The Rhode Island got to sea again the next 
day, and on Saturday morning, November 26th, 
she had an exciting chase after a supposed 
blockade-runner. A strange vessel was re- 
ported to the officer of the deck early in the 
morning, the weather at the time being pleasant 
with moderate breezes from the south and 
east. From the peculiar color of the smoke 
the stranger emitted, the belief that she was 
an enemy was strengthened, and every effort 
was made to increase the Rhode Island's speed. 
As the national gunboat rapidly gained on the 
chase, she was found to be not a Confederate 
but one of Uncle Sam's vessels, and after an 
exchange of signals she reported " U. S. 
steamer Banshee'' ; her commander, Captain 
Garfield, shortly afterward boarding the Rhode 
Island, and presented his compliments to Com- 
mander Trenchard. There was a mutual ex- 
pression of regret that they had not found each 
other out to be enemies. An hour after this 
chase the Rhode Island Qy.c\\2ing&d signals with 
the U. S. steamers R. R. C2iyler and Fort 
Morgan, the latter having the Confederate Ad- 
miral, Franklin Buchanan, on board as a pris- 



296 The Old Navy. 

oner. Buchanan had been captured in the battle 
of Mobile Bay, and, after recovering from his 
dangerous wounds at the United States hospital 
in Pensacola, was on his way north. 

For the few succeeding days the Rhode Isl- 
and cruised in this vicinity, speaking the U. S. 
gunboat JMoiint Vernon, the R. R. Ciiylcr, and 
the brig Anna Elizabeth, and on the night of 
November 28th, passing a brilliantly lighted 
steamer which was found to be a mailship. 
The lights of another mail-steamer northbound 
were seen on the night of November 30th. 
About noon December ist, the Rhode Island 
fell in with the United States steamer Mack- 
inaw, her commander, Captain Beaumont, 
paying Commander Trenchard a visit. 

While the two officers were eno^acred in what 
has always been a pleasant occurrence — a 
friendly visit on mid-ocean — a suspicious sail, 
or rather smoke, was reported from the mast- 
head. Both the Rhode Island and the Mount 
Vernoi promptly gave chase, and in a short 
time the orunboats were cuttino- through the 
waves and makinof a terrible fuss in the water 
in their efforts to come up with the stranger. 
By 3.30 P.M. the chase could be seen from 
the decks of the national gunboats, but from 



Convoy Service. 297 

this time until sunset she seemed to gain and 
it was apparent that she was making extra- 
ordinary efforts to escape. At sunset the 
wind freshened and became squally, which 
caused a rough cross-sea to rise. This proved 
advantageous to the Rhode Island and she per- 
ceptibly gained. But soon after night fell 
over the sea, Commander Trenchard lost sight 
of the chase. After several vain endeavors to 
get a glimpse of the chase, one of the lookouts 
reported a light just off the bow which was 
thought to be that of the stranger. Steering in 
that direction and then maintaining her high- 
est rate of speed for an hour longer, the Rhode 
Island came upon a vessel which seemed to be 
in a crippled condition. Commander Trench- 
ard immediately sent a boat aboard of her. 
She proved to be the vessel chased during the 
afternoon, her machinery having been disabled 
in her efforts to escape. She was found to be 
the English steamer Vixen a blockade-runner 
from Bermuda. A marine guard was placed 
aboard of her, and her commander, Mr. Walton, 
was brought aboard the Rhode Island, while 
Commander Trenchard lay alongside waiting 
for the return of daylight. 

At seven o'clock on the morning of Decern- 



298 The Old Navy. 

ber 2d, Commander Trenchard took the Vixen 
in tow, after placing Acting-Master Zera L. 
Tanner, Acting-M asters' Mates R. W. Wal- 
lace, G. H. Appleton, and Ensigns Smyth and 
Hughes, in charge of her with a prize crew. 
Mr. Walton was returned aboard the Vixen 
to be held as a witness in the trial, while the 
crew of the prize was sent aboard the Rhode 
Island. Falling in with her old consort, the 
Santiago de Cuba, the Rhode Island at 1.45 
P.M. December 23d reached Beaufort with 
her prize. The capture was reported to the 
commanding naval officer who ordered the 
Rhode Islaftd to proceed immediately to 
Hampton Roads with the Vixen and report 
to Rear-Admiral Thatcher, after which the 
gunboat was to join the expedition about to 
sail against Fort Fisher. 




CHAPTER XXII. 



AT FORT FISHER. 



AFTER spending several days at the Nor- 
folk Navy Yard in coaling, the Rhode 
Island returned to Hampton Roads, December 
loth, where she took on board, by order of 
Rear-Admiral Porter, Major Thomas Lincoln 
Casey, of the Engineers Corps, and Mr. Wil- 
liam Anderson, a reporter of the Philadelphia 
Inquirer. Mr. Anderson was taken aboard 
by especial order from Rear-Admiral Porter, 
who said : " I beg leave to introduce to your 
acquaintance Mr. William Anderson, of the 
Philadelphia Inquirer. Will you furnish Mr. 
Anderson with quarters on board your vessel 
until you get below so that he will be com- 
fortable ? When we arrive at our destination, 
other quarters will be provided." It will be 
observed in this note that the destination of 

299 



300 The Old Navy. 

the expedition was not mentioned, it being 
referred to in such words as " below" and " our 
destination." Mr. Anderson evidently had 
been specially assigned to "cover" the attack 
on Fort Fisher. 

At sunset the commanders of all the na- 
tional vessels in the Roads were assembled on 
the flagship Malvern for the purpose of receiv- 
ing their final instructions. Early the next 
morning the Rhode Island put to sea with 
the ironclad Canonicus in tow, followed by the 
Fort Jackson towing the Monadnock, and the 
Santiago de Cnba towing the MaJiopac. On 
Wednesday, December 14th, the weather was 
cloudy and squally and the speed of the gun- 
boats was reduced in keeping with the safety 
of the monitors. When the cumbersome iron- 
clads passed the spot where the original mon- 
itor foundered, the Monadnock cast off her 
towline and demonstrated her seaworthiness 
by steaming independently of her consort. The 
Fort Jackson, however, kept close by the iron- 
clad, ready to give immediate assistance if 
required. The six vessels kept in sight of 
each other all day. When off Cape Hatteras 
Rear-Admiral Porter in the Malvern passed 
them steaming southward and shortly after- 



At Fort Fisher. 301 

ward the powder boat Louisiana also passed 
them. Shortly after midnight the monitors 
made Point Lookout Light and at 7.55 a.m. 
came to anchor off Beaufort bar, the Malvern 
and the Lo2iisiana having arrived a few hours 
before. During the next few days the crew of 
the Rhode Island followed the example of the 
other vessels and began firing at targets with 
the great guns. The target was placed about 
a mile off, the distance the vessels expected to 
take when attacking Fort Fisher. 

Early on the morning of Sunday, December 
1 8th, it was seen that some serious movement 
was under way in the great fleet that had as- 
sembled at Beaufort, and before noon Rear- 
Admiral Porter came out in the Malverii and 
put to sea, in company with a large number of 
vessels. The Rhode Island followed the long, 
trailing procession to sea, having the Canoni- 
cus in tow. By sunset the armada came-to off 
Wilmington, many of the vessels standing on 
and off during the night and coming to anchor 
in the morning. December 19th was spent in 
manoeuvring and in getting ready for the at- 
tack and at sunset the fleet came to anchor. 
Much difficulty was experienced in keeping the 
vessels in their proper positions, the swift tide 



302 The Old Navy. 

causing a number of steamers to drag their 
anchors. This, in such a great assemblage of 
vessels, resulted in much danger from colli- 
sions. The Rhode Island was compelled to 
get under steam twice, and finally dropped 
two anchors before she could be held fast. 

Under date of Saturday, December 24th, 
Commander Trenchard notes: "At 0.50 a.m. 
discovered a fire bearing west by one one-quar- 
ter north, which was followed by an explosion 
at 2.05 A.M. It was the powder boat Louisiana 
which had been exploded under the batteries 
of Fort Fisher. The report appeared like 
two different discharges of a heavy gun 
and the shock like that of a distant earth- 
quake." 

Major Casey, who was in the Rhode Island, 
gives the following interesting account of this 
affair : " The fleet was concentrated for an 
attack upon the rebel defences of the New In- 
let to Cape Fear River, covering one of the 
approaches to the city of Wilmington, N. C. 
The point of attack selected was Fort Fisher, 
and one of the means of attack decided upon 
as first to be projected against this work was 
the explosion of a large mass of gunpowder 
placed as near to its parapets as it could be 



At Fort Fisher. 303 

carried in a vessel, in the hopes that the effects 
produced would be the great injury, if not 
destruction, of the fortification, its armament, 
and garrison. The least effect expected was 
that the garrison should be so paralyzed and 
stunned as to offer small resistance to subse- 
quent assaults. The vessel selected to carry 
the powder was the U. S. (purchased) pro- 
peller Louisiana, of 295 tons measurement, 
having an iron hull. It was decided to dis- 
guise her to resemble as much as possible a 
blockade-runner, and to endeavor to place her 
in the desired position without being discov- 
ered by the enemy. To these ends the masts 
and armament of the vessel were removed, and 
the deck-house extended forward to within a 
few feet of the stem to furnish additional room 
for storage of the powder. A sham smoke- 
stack in addition to the real one was set up, 
and the whole vessel painted a neutral tint, 
nearly approaching to white. In stowing the 
powder it was determined to place it as much 
as possible above the water-line, and a light 
deck a few inches below the water-line was 
constructed in the lower hold. . . . The 
vessel was taken to its position on the night 
of December 23d under the command of Com- 



304 The Old Navy. 

mander A. C. Rhind, U. S. Navy, and was 
placed by him, as he informed me, within three 
hundred yards of the northeast saHent of the 
fort, and that, too, without being discovered 
by the enemy. A blockade-runner going in 
just ahead of the vessel acted as a guide in its 
navigation, and at the same time threw the 
garrison off its guard. After starting the vari- 
ous appliances for firing the fuses, the time of 
their running havinof been fixed at an hour and 
a half, and also setting fire to the combustibles 
collected in the after-hold, the crew escaped in 
a swift steamer held in waiting for them. The 
explosion took place in one hour and fifty-two 
minutes from the time of first setting the fire, 
and at about two o'clock on the morning of 
December 24th. 

" As viewed from the decks of the U. S. 
steamer RJiode Island at a distance of some 
twelve miles, the first thing observed was a 
bright flame, which suddenly leaped into the 
air a heiofht that would subtend some six or 
eic^ht decrrees of arc. This flame was filled 
with bright points or coruscations that made 
its appearance very beautiful. Some ten sec- 
onds after the appearance of the flame two 
sharp and ringing reports, about as loud as 



At Fort Fisher. 305 

those from a 6-pounder brass gun, and follow- 
ing each other in rapid succession, were heard 
directly over the point of observation. At the 
same instant the vessel was sensibly jarred and 
shaken, and upon one of the vessels of the 
squadron some window-glass was broken by 
the concussion. Immediately following this, 
a low, rumbling noise like distant thunder was 
heard in the direction of the explosion, and all 
was then quiet. The jar and noise of this ex- 
plosion were apparent at points from sixty to 
one hundred miles removed from it — namely, 
at Beaufort and New Berne, N. C. Upon an 
examination of the fort the next morning, no 
perceptible effects could be seen to have been 
produced upon the work. The edges and 
crests of the parapets and traverses remained 
as sharp and well-defined as ever. The grass 
covering their surfaces had not been stripped 
from them. No slides or craters in the parapet 
could be observed. The stockade from the 
northeast bastion was intact, and the wooden 
barracks and other buildings about the fort 
were still standing. It is not believed that 
any guns were dismounted, and as the fort 
replied to the fleet for the first hour and a 
quarter of the fight upon the 24th instant, it 



3o6 The Old Navy. 

is not probable the garrison were so much 
demoralized as to unfit them for service." 

" At 7 A.M.," records Commander Trenchard, 
"the fleet got under way and at 8.10 a.m., 
formed in line of battle ahead and steamed 
in for New Inlet. At 9 a.m. we went to 
quarters and cleared the ship for action. At 
10.30 A.M., the wind having freshened, we 
came to anchor. At 11.30 a.m., the wind 
moderating, the fleet got under way again and 
steamed in for New Inlet. New Ironsides at 
I P.M. being in position, opened fire upon Fort 
Fisher, and in a few minutes the bombardment 
became general, each ship concentrating its 
fire upon Fort Fisher and other batteries. At 
2.50 P.M. the Rhode Island reached its position, 
opening fire with the starboard battery. We 
dropped a kedge from the stern and swung 
the ship ; then we let go the bower anchor, thus 
anchoring the ship head and stern, and bring- 
ing her port broadside to bear upon Fort 
Fisher and the Mound Battery, on which a 
brisk fire was kept. One of the starboard 
guns having been shifted to the port side gave 
us eight guns upon that side, namely, one 9- 
inch, five 8-inch, and two 30-pounder rifled 
guns. 



At Fort Fisher. 307 

"At 3.45 P.M. a shot from the second divi- 
sion cut away the flagstaff on Fort Fisher. 
About this time all the vessels had taken their 
positions and a most terrific fire was kept up 
by the fleet upon the batteries which appeared 
to be very nearly silenced, and Fort Fisher in 
flames. Had the troops only been on hand at 
this time they might have landed and taken 
possession of the works without opposition. 

" The Mound Battery flagstaff was shot away 
two or three times but was speedily replaced 
by some soldier regardless of the danger to 
which he was exposed. The fleet sustained 
but little damage from the fire of the forts but 
a sad loss by the explosion of some Parrott 
guns. The Admiral steamed through the 
fleet in his flagship, the Malvern, during the 
hottest of the fire and directed its movements. 
The plan of attack was well arranged and car- 
ried out with no difficulty. At 5.20 p.m. (then 
after sunset) the Admiral made a signal to 
cease firing, the fleet weighed anchor and 
steamed out to sea. Our steamer, the Little 
Rkody, had not been struck, we sustained no 
casualties, and we left with grateful hearts to the 
Kind Giver of all good things for our preserva- 
tion and safety. The fleet left for Beaufort." 



3o8 The Old Navy. 

Such is Commander Trenchard's modest 
account of the part he took in this celebrated 
bombardment. Mr. Anderson, however, the 
reporter of the Philadelphia Inqui7'er, gives 
the following : " From her construction the 
Rhode Island was forced to fight with her port 
guns (her paddle-wheels making it difficult to 
bring the starboard battery into play). All 
eyes watched her. She was headed in the 
opposite direction from which most of the 
Union ships were placed. She was admirably 
handled while performing the anomalous and 
dangerous manoeuvre, her officers availing 
themselves of her sails as well as steam to turn 
rapidly. When half-turned, and with her stern 
exposed to the Mound Battery, a raking shot 
was fired at her. She was in a perilous posi- 
tion, but training the after gun of her battery 
she sent her compliments of defiance right up 
the sloping sides of the Mound. After a few 
anxious moments, she turned safely around, 
dropped her anchors, and poured broadside 
after broadside against the Mound Battery, 
until finally the flagstaff was shot away." 

The fleet left for Beaufort between 7 and 8 
P.M., anchoring off the bar on the following 
morning. The next day the Rhode Island re- 



At Fort Fisher. 309 

turned to New Inlet to assist in taking off the 
national troops who had been landed to assault 
Fort Fisher. Under date of December 26th, 
Commander Trenchard writes : " Got under 
way and stood in for the shore and anchored in 
six fathoms of water by direction of Rear-Ad- 
miral Porter to protect with our guns the troops 
which had been landed yesterday. During 
the night we kept up a fire at intervals of twenty 
minutes to the left and rear of our troops, the 
other gunboats shelling the woods to the right. 
The Santiago de Cuba, whose place we had 
taken, proceeded North with despatches. 

" Tuesday, December 27th. 

" Moderate breezes from the south and west, 
and pleasant. Engaged in shelling the woods 
to the left of our troops, the other gunboats shell- 
ing to the right. Between 7 and 8 a.m. I sent 
boats to aid in embarking troops which I super- 
intended in person. The surf being very high, 
this task had to be executed w^ith great care by 
running lines to the shore from the smaller ves- 
sels, and in that way hauling the surf boats 
through the breakers to the larger boats by 
which the troops were conveyed to the tugs, and 
by them to the transports. A large number of 



3IO The Old Navy. 

boats were sent to the different vessels and the 
whole number of troops was embarked safely 
just before midday. Great credit is due to the 
brave sailors for their strenuous efforts in this 
work, particularly those who handled the surf 
boats and carried them through the breakers. 
Before the troops had been embarked, a report 
came that the rebels had concentrated some six 
thousand troops within a mile of our own men, 
but the report was unfounded. The gunboats 
all returning to the fleet after the embarkation 
and the Rhode Island resumed her blockade 
duty." 

Immediately after the unsuccessful termina- 
tion of the first expedition against Fort Fisher, 
xho. Rhode Island resumed blockade duty, stand- 
ing on and off the bar at New Inlet, and occa- 
sionally exchanging signals with the United 
States warships passing up and down the coast. 
On January 2, 1865, she dropped anchor off 
Beaufort and for several days was engaged in 
coaling from a schooner. Commander Trench- 
ard, in anticipation of the second expedition 
against Fort Fisher which was about to be 
made, improved his time by preparing his ship 
for the expected bombardment. Probably 
profiting by the example of Captain Winslow 



At Fort Fisher. 311 

in the Kearsarge, Commander Trenchard ob- 
tained a spare chain-cable from the shore and 
arranged it so as to protect his starboard boiler ; 
while sand-bags, spare rigging, and hawsers 
were arranged so as to give additional protec- 
tion to the machinery. On January i ith a por- 
tion of the fleet destined for the attack on Fort 
Fisher got under way and anchored outside 
Beaufort bar, and on the evening of the follow- 
mg day the fleet, including the Rhode Island^ 
got under way and at 9.15 p.m. anchored off 
Wilmino^ton. 

Under date of January 13, 1865, Commander 
Trenchard writes : " Light airs from the west 
with clear, pleasant weather. At 4.30 a.m. we 
got under way and steamed into line. At 7.30 
A.M. we cast loose the battery and cleared the 
ship for action. At 9 a.m. the Second Division 
of the fleet anchored near the shore to the east 
of Fort Fisher and began shelling the works, 
the transports coming up and anchoring near, 
while the Third Division formed outside of 
them. The fleet lowered boats and sent them 
to transport and land the troops. At 10.30 
A.M. the Third Division anchored near the shore 
to cover the left flank of the landing party and 
after shelling the woods for fully half an hour 



312 The Old Navy. 

discontinued. The steamer New Ironsides and 
the monitors were steaming up and when in 
range opened upon Fort Fisher and continued 
firing upon it for the remainder of the day. 
Line of battle No. i got under way and opened 
fire about an hour before sunset and it was fol- 
lowed by the second line soon afterward, keep- 
ing up a brisk fire until after dark upon the 
enemy's works. 

" Saturday, January 14th. 

" Light airs from the west and pleasant 
weather. Engaged during the day in landing 
artillery and mules belonging to the army. 

"Sunday, January 15th. 

" Lieht breezes from the north and west, 
clear and pleasant weather. At 6 a.m. the 
frigate line of battle got under way, and be- 
gan getting into position to resume the attack 
on Fort Fisher. Actinor-Ensiorn Zera L. 
Tanner, accompanied by Acting-Ensign Lem- 
uel Post, were placed in charge of the boats 
to assist in getting the siege-guns belonging to 
the army, on shore. At lo a.m., pursuant to 
signal, the marines and a detachment of sail- 
ors from this ship, under the command of 
Lieutenant Frederick R. Smith, accompanied 



At Fort Fisher. 3^3 

by Acting-Ensign Nicholas Pratt and Acting- 
Master's Mate, Edward E. Bradbury, were 
sent in boats to join the storming party from 
the fleet in the assault on Fort Fisher. At 
II A.M., we steamed into line and at 12.45 P-^i- 
opened fire upon the batteries to the south of 
Fort F"isher. We kept up a continuous fire 
with the seven guns of the starboard battery. 
At 3 P.M. the signal was made to cease firing 
just as the Rhode Island had got in nearer, 
and in a position for her broadside guns to 
take effect upon the Mound or Battery Lamb 
(so named after Col. Lamb, the commander 
of the fort). At 3.30 p.m. the assault was 
made upon Fort Fisher, and shortly afterward 
the Stars and Stripes were seen waving over 
its walls. The guns from the Mound Battery 
were now turned (by the Confederates) upon 
the fort, and could we have opened upon it 
from the Third Division, the guns would have 
been silenced. The signal subsequently was 
made : ' to fire upon the Mound Battery,' but 
being nearly dark, not many shot took effect. 
Firing was continued upon it until a short 
time before 8 p.m., signal being made at 
that hour that the forts were in our posses- 
sion. 



314 The Old Navy. 

" ^lONDAY, January i6, 1865. 

" First part light airs from the south and 
west and pleasant ; latter part breezes from 
the north and east. At lo a.m. Acting-En- 
sign Tanner, with his party, returned, and at 
10.15 A.M., Lieutenant Smith returned with the 
boats and the men under his command with 
the exception of Jeremiah Coony, boatswain's 
mate ; Patrick Harrington, landsman ; John 
Daisy, marine ; B. Morey, ordinary seaman, 
who had been wounded and were sent on 
board the Fort Jackson; S. D. Tripp, lands- 
man ; Charles Wilson, ordinary seaman, miss- 
ing ; Frederick Anhes, seaman, Austen 
Benklin, ordinary seaman ; Harry Devoe, or- 
dinary seaman ; James O'Sullivan, landsman. 
At I F.M. we got under way, and communi- 
cated with the Admiral, and at 4.30 p.m. took 
the ironclad Saugus in tow, and proceeded to 
sea with her, arriving at Hampton Roads, 
January i8th." 

In his official report Commander Trenchard 
says : 

" Lieutenant Frederick R. Smith, executive 
officer of this vessel, rendered valuable aid in 
carrying out my orders during the action and 
in getting the vessel into line. I have great 



At Fort Fisher. 315 

satisfaction in stating that all the officers be- 
haved with uncommon coolness, exhibiting 
great zeal in the discharge of their duties and 
encouraging the men to do the same. The 
petty officers, crew, and marines, one and all, 
behaved well at their guns and other stations, 
discharging their duties in a spirited manner 
and maintaining a brisk and continuous fire 
upon the batteries. 

" The Rhode Island went into action with 
nearly one half her complement, a party being 
engaged in landing siege-guns for the army, 
the importance of which service has been duly 
acknowledged by the general in charge, and 
another portion of the officers and crew, with 
Lieutenant Smith, were connected with the 
storming party. 

"Acting-Master Charles O'Neil, in the ab- 
sence of Lieutenant Smith in charge of the 
storming-party from this vessel, acted as execu- 
tive officer during the action, which in addition 
to his own duty, he discharged with special credit. 

" Acting-Ensign Robert O. Lanfare, the 
only divisional officer on board, merits praise, 
fighting his own guns and exercising a super- 
vision over the others. Acting- Master's Mates 
Richard W. Wallace, John P. Fisher, Henry 



3i6 The Old Navy. 

B. Gardner, and George H. Appleton deserve 
special mention for the good manner in which 
their guns were handled. 

" I have also to acknowledge the services of 
Acting-Chief-Engineer John F. McCutchen 
for the skilful manner in which the engine 
was worked during the action, and further add 
Assistant Paymaster, William Lee Darling, 
acted as my aide during the engagement, and 
rendered himself very useful in communicating 
the necessary orders. 

" Assistant Surgeon Edward B. Bingham 
deserves mention for his promptness in look- 
ing up our wounded after the assault, and 
brinofine on board for treatment all those 
whose wounds would admit of their being 
moved, thereby making more room on the 
hospital vessel for the more serious cases. 

" Captain's-Clerk Langdon S. Rogers de- 
serves mention for the zealous manner in 
which he discharged the duties of signal offi- 
cer on this occasion as well as during the 
action of the 24th of December. Paymaster's- 
Clerk, William J. Bennett, in charge of the 
powder division, merits a favorable mention 
for the careful and prompt manner in which 
the divisions were served. 



At Fort Fisher. z^y 

" Credit is due to the gunner, Henry Hamil- 
ton, for the despatch with which the ammuni- 
tion was dehvered from the magazine and 
shell-room. I take this opportunity to bring 
to your favorable notice Charles H. Foy, sig- 
nal quarter-master, not only for his services 
during the action, but for his uniform good 
conduct and long and faithful services. He 
has been in the naval service upwards of 
twenty years, over three of which have been 
on board of this vessel. I would further add 
that very great credit is due to the crew. Al- 
though short-handed, and having an extra gun 
on the starboard side, the battery was worked 
well and rendered good service." 

Mr. Anderson, the reporter of the Philadel- 
phia Inquirer, writing of the part the Rhode 
Island took in this attack, said : " The Rhode 
Island came in for a double share of their [the 
Confederates'] warm attentions, her guns 
knocking one of their small batteries into pi. 
The better the Confederates trained their guns 
the nearer Commander Trenchard stood in for 
the Mound, the Rhodys guns entirely destroy- 
ing the smooth parapets of Col. Lamb's 
pet battery. At last it became a duel between 
the Rhody and the Mound Battery until the 



3i8 The Old Navy. 

order to cease firing was given." Brigadier- 
General Henry L. Abbott, who commanded 
the land portion of the attack, paid a high com- 
pliment to Lieutenant Tanner in the following 
note, dated January 14, 1865, which he sent to 
Commander Trenchard : " I shall be under 
great obligations if you will detail Lieutenant 
Tanner permanently to take charge of getting 
my siege-guns and mortars on shore. General 
Terry is very anxious to put the same in posi- 
tion. It will only occupy a few days at the 
most, and it is a duty of so difficult a nature 
that I am specially anxious to secure the aid 
of so fine and skilful an officer as Lieutenant 
Tanner has proved himself to be to-day^ 




CHAPTER XXIII. 



LAST CRUISES OF THE " RHODE ISLAND. 



THE. next cruise of the Rhode Island was 
marked with distinguished honor for 
the Httle craft. Soon after the capture of 
Fort Fisher, Commander Trenchard received 
the following order from Rear-Admiral Porter, 
dated flagship Malvern, Feb. lo, 1865 : " As 
soon as you have discharged all the recruits 
brought down in your vessel, you will pro- 
ceed without delay to Hampton Roads, carry- 
ing the mails, and report yourself to the Hon. 
Secretary of the Navy as ready to bring down 
the War Committee who propose visiting this 
locality." Arriving in Hampton Roads after 
the attack on Fort Fisher, the Rhode Island 
proceeded immediately to the Navy Yard and 
began coaling and replenishing her store of 
ammunition, which had been nearly exhausted 



319 



320 The Old Navy. 

in the bombardment. This work was com- 
pleted January 24th, and at 7 a.m. on the 
25th, she cast off from the wharf and, steam- 
ing down Elizabeth River, communicated with 
the Minnesota, from which vessel she received 
instructions to proceed up Chesapeake Bay 
and towed the ironclad ^'^z^^^^i' into the Roads. 
Commander Trenchard got under way at 9.30 
A.M. and at 4.30 p.m. met the Saugus and towed 
her into the Roads, anchoring at 3.30 o'clock 
on the following morning near Fort Monroe, 
while the Saugus continued up James River to 
take part in the naval and army demonstra- 
tions in that quarter. 

At half-past nine o'clock the same morning, 
in pursuance of the order received from Rear- 
Admiral Porter, the little Rhody was in her 
best trim. Her decks had been holystoned in 
the morning, the brass works were polished, 
and the officers and men had donned their 
best uniforms. At the hour named, the Assist- 
ant Secretary of the Navy, Gustavus Vasa 
Fox, Lieutenant-General and Mrs. Grant, 
Major-General and Mrs. Schofield, Brigadier- 
General and Mrs. Rollins, Major-General 
Barnard, Major Whany, Commodore John 
Rodgers, and Captain Twing, of the Engi- 



Last Cruises of the "Rhode Island." 321 

neers, came aboard the Rhode Island for 
passage. They constituted Porter's "war com- 
mittee." A salute of seventeen guns was 
fired in honor of General Grant. 

At 7.45 P.M. the Rhode Island put to sea 
with her precious cargo of humanity. The 
wind and waves were favorable for the o^reat 
occasion, and the gunboat made a quick run 
down the coast, anchoring off Fort Fisher at 
4.10 P.M., on the following day, near the gun- 
boat Fort "Jackson. At five o'clock Mr. Fox, 
General Grant, and all the other passengers, 
with the exception of the ladies, went aboard 
the little steamer Ei^rand, and running in 
Cape Fear River, held a consultation with 
Rear-Admiral Porter and General Terry, after 
which the guests, with the exception of Com- 
modore Rodgers and General Barnard, re- 
turned to the Rhode Island late that niofht. 
On recovering her distinguished guests, the 
Rhode Island put to sea an hour before mid- 
night, and arrived off Beaufort at half-past seven 
on the following morning. Here Mr. Fox, 
General Grant, " and the ladies of the party " 
took a run into Beaufort in a tug, returning at 
2.30 P.M., immediately after which the Rhode 
Island again put to sea and favored with ex- 



322 The Old Navy. 

ceptionally fine weather, steamed rapidly up 
the coast, passing Hatteras Light at one o'clock 
in the morning, and arriving at Hampton 
Roads at 4 p.m. Here the guests went ashore, 
expressing themselves as being greatly pleased 
with the jaunt. 

After dining with Commodore Schenck in 
the Powhatan, Commander Trenchard, on the 
evening of February 4th, steamed out of 
Hampton Roads, having on board Lieutenant- 
Commander Thornton, Lieutenant N. W. 
Saunders, and several officers, besides 216 
seamen who were to join various ships of the 
blockading squadrons. Arriving off Fort 
Fisher, Commander Trenchard notes : " Pulled 
in with the first cutter and called upon Ad- 
miral Porter, taking lunch on board the flag- 
ship Malvern, and returning in the afternoon 
to my own ship." On the following day, a num- 
ber of the Rhode Islanders went ashore and 
visited the Mound Battery which had been 
such a conspicuous feature in the attacks on 
Fort Fisher. Commander Trenchard notes : 
" I was struck by the extent and great strength 
of the works which far exceeded my expecta- 
tions." Putting her passengers aboard their 
several ships, the Rhode Island returned to 



Last Cruises of the "Rhode Island." 32 



3^3 



Hampton Roads, where the mail-steamers 
Morning Star and Queen also arrived, bring- 
ing the officers and crew of the United States 
steamer Merrimac, which had been wrecked 
off Cape Canaveral. 

The Rhode Island was at Hampton Roads 
on February 2 2d, and Commander Trenchard 
notes that the British war-steamer Buzzard 
uniting with the American cruisers in firing a 
salute at noon in honor of the day, and as 
Fort Monroe and the battery at the Navy 
Yard added their thunder, the Roads for a time 
presented a lively scene. While at this place, 
Commander Trenchard heard what, at that 
time, was regarded as "great news." Under 
date of February 20th, he says the State of 
Georgia arrived " with the news that Charles- 
ton was evacuated," the Confederates having 
abandoned the city three days before. Under 
date of February 23d he notes: "The U. S. 
steamer Newberne arrived from Fort Fisher 
bringing the news that our forces were within 
four miles of Wilming-ton and still advanc- 
ing. . . . The Newberne brought the Con- 
federate navy prisoners, who were sent to 
Fort Monroe." On the following day he says : 
" The U. S. steamer R. R. Ctiyler arrived 



324 The Old Navy. 

from Cape Fear reporting that our forces had 
taken Wilmington, the rebels retreating and 
leaving a number of troops who were made 
prisoners." 

On February 26th the RJiode Island took 
another run down to New Inlet with de- 
spatches for Rear-Admiral Porter. Commander 
Trenchard breakfasted with the Admiral, Feb- 
ruary 28th, and on March 2d, Porter trans- 
ferred his flag to the Rhode Island and came 
on board with his son Essex, a lieutenant in 
the first artillery. While again elevated to 
the dignity of flagship the Rhode Island per- 
formed a crallant service. She left New Inlet 
at 8.30 A.M. and put to sea, the weather being 
cloudy and the breeze light from the north 
and east. At 10 a.m., when off Cape Lookout 
Shoals, a schooner was discovered showing sig- 
nals of distress. Commander Trenchard stood 
in for her as near as the shoaling waters would 
allow, and he hove-to, lowered a boat, and sent 
it in charge of Acting-Ensign Nicholas Pratt 
to the assistance of the schooner. With no 
little dangrer to themselves the boat's crew 
reached the schooner and found that her peo- 
ple were nearly dead from exposure to the wet 
and cold. They had been in their perilous 



Last Cruises of the "Rhode Island." 325 

positions three nights and two days. The 
schooner proved to be the Spray, of Great 
Egg Harbor, N. J., from Fort Monroe, bound 
for Beaufort, laden with coal for the army. 
She had run on the shoals three nights before, 
and being exposed to the full force of the 
waves, in a short time began to fall to pieces. 
Her men finally were driven to the bowsprit 
and jibboom, from which they were rescued by 
the Rhode Island's boat. They were Israel G. 
Adams, master ; Hezekiah Lee, mate ; Elisha 
Jackson, steward ; William Henderson, 
Thomas H. Beaumont, and Moses Minks, 
seamen. These men were taken aboard the 
Rhode Island, where they were received with 
every kindness. The gunboat resumed her 
course for Hampton Roads at 5.50 p.m., 
where she arrived on the afternoon of March 
4th, Rear-Admiral Porter transferring his flag 
to the U. S. steamer Bat and proceeded to 
Baltimore. 

Having passed through the war with much 
credit to herself and her officers the little 
Rhode Island now began to taste the sweets 
of victory. Compliments and receptions were 
lavishly bestowed on the returning sailors and 
soldiers after the war was over, and it is only 



326 The Old Navy. 

fair to say that our doughty gunboat came in 
for her full share of the laurels. Early in 
March, Commander Trenchard got a leave of 
absence and running up to Philadelphia was 
warmly greeted by his many friends. Return- 
ing from this brief furlough he rejoined his 
ship, and on March 20th, accompanied by the 
ironclad Didatoj', put to sea, escorting her as 
far as New York. Here he received the fol- 
lowing order from Secretary Welles : '* As 
soon as the Rhode Island is ready for sea, pro- 
ceed with her to the coast of Maine for the 
purpose of recruiting men for the navy. You 
will first visit the port of Belfast. The bureau 
of Equipment and Recruiting will furnish you 
with all the necessary instructions respecting 
recruiting service." 

Proceeding immediately to Belfast, the 
Rhode Island, on March 31st, was visited by 
the mayor of the city and a large number of 
ladies and gentlemen who undoubtedly said 
some very wise things about seamanship in 
general, and about the Rhode Island in par- 
ticular. Indeed, the little gunboat was an ob- 
ject of great interest during her entire stay, 
and her veteran seamen had some most mar- 
vellous yarns to tell to the crowds of credulous 



Last Cruises "of the " Rhode Island." 327 

townsfolk that visited her. These people came 
on board devoutly prepared to believe every- 
thing and anything about the ship, for the 
plucky little Rhode Island, with her pert, de- 
fiant pug-nose of a bowsprit, was just the 
craft to capture the fancy of landlubbers. It 
would not have been strange if her timbers 
did groan at some of the dreadfully strained 
yarns that were told about her performances 
by some of her straight-faced Jack tars who de- 
lighted in showing the visitors over the ship. 

" And did this dear old ship really cross 
right over an island and resume the chase 
after the rebel pirate on the other side ?" rap- 
turously asked an enthusiastic maiden of a 
weather-beaten rascal of a tar, after he had ex- 
plained how the paddle-wheels could propel as 
well on land as on sea. 

"That's what she did, marm, and if that 
ain't so, you can call me a liar," replied the tar, 
and the exploit was vociferously discussed in 
the sewinof-circles all that summer and the fol- 
lowing winter. 

The people of the Rhode Island were not al- 
together indifferent to the lavish admiration 
that was bestowed upon them. Your genuine 
old salt is a modest fellow as a rule, and in 



328 The Old Navy. 

the presence of his fellow-seamen is far from 
presuming on their credulity. But once let 
him loose in a crowd of landsfolk (particularly 
when they are really more willing to hear un- 
truths than truths, so long as they can marvel) 
and the very bounds of imagination are shat- 
tered in his wild reach after the marvellous 
and impossible. And the worst feature of it 
all is that if Jack remains in these enervating 
surroundings too long, his capacity for telling 
the truth seems to disappear entirely, and he 
soon becomes a confirmed and hopeless pre- 
varicator in all matters pertaining to the sea. 
The honest tars of the Rhode Island took ex- 
quisite delight in spinning yarns to the won- 
dering people from the shore, and it was 
simply appalling to observe what immense 
chunks of falsehood were added to a yarn on 
each repetition. 

The climax of this delirious state of enjoy- 
ment was reached when the little Rhody got an 
opportunity to fire off her big guns. It 's all 
well enough to tell stories of wonderful deeds 
of heroism to credulous landsfolk, but there is 
nothing like the heavy boom of a real gun to 
give the yarn its proper emphasis and full 
weight in the minds of the hearers. This ad- 



Last Cruises 'of the "Rhode Island." 329 

ditional tickle was afforded Jack on April 3d, 
when the Rhode Island had been in port sev- 
eral days. By that time popular interest in 
the gunboat had reached its height, and the 
people's power of believing everything and 
anything had reached the limit of endurance, if, 
indeed, it had not begun to flag a bit. So that 
the discharge of real guns, guns that had been 
actually fired in earnest, came just at the right 
time to give the festival of untruths an addi- 
tional zest. 

The pretext for firing the guns was afforded 
on April 3d, when the news came that Rich- 
mond had fallen. It is true that this was not 
much of a pretext, for the Rhode Islanders had 
learned of the surrender of New Orleans, 
Vicksburg, Mobile, and Charleston, without 
indulging in such a lavish outlay of gunpow- 
der. But how could it be possible for a gallant 
son of Old Neptune to refuse the entreaties to 
hear those "dreadful guns" go off? So on 
April 3d, the gunboat was bedecked with 
bunting, and promptly at i p.m. the guns be- 
gan to boom away. It was astonishing to ob- 
serve what a martial effect it inspired, not only 
among the townsfolk, but among the seamen. 
The stern cast of countenance that was ob- 



330 The Old Navy. 

served to fall suddenly over the crew was soul- 
stirring. The martial strut of the young 
officers (when not interrupted by tripping 
over their own swords) around the decks, the 
abnormally distended chests, the over-erect 
heads, and their solemn countenances were 
sublimely suggestive of the "Dead March in 
Saul." As the cannon banged away, splitting 
the air with their murderous noise, the seamen 
assumed poses becoming a man-o'-war's man in 
the heat of action. Some looked scowlingly 
over the bulwarks at an imaginary foe ; others 
with set teeth looked straight ahead at noth- 
ing, as if expecting a mortal wound at any 
instant ; others surveyed the groups of half- 
startled young men and cowering maidens, 
stopping their ears with their hands, with a 
pitying smile, as if to say, " Oh, this is noth- 
ing; you ought to have heard those guns at 
Fort Fisher." 

In return for this sweet taste of war the 
townsfolk vied with each other in entertaining 
the gallant Rhodies whenever they appeared 
on shore. The officers were handsomely 
dined and wined (or, more accurately speaking, 
cidered) at the houses of society, while Jack was 
lionized by the ubiquitous small boy and one 



Last Cruises 'of the "Rhode Island." 33^ 

of the two or three " men about town " — all 
that slow-going Belfast could boast of. When 
the news of Lee's surrender, April loth, was 
received, the climax of Jack's delicious revery 
was reached. The order was gfiven to man 
the yards. Up scrambled Jack to the dizzy 
heights (as dizzy as the stumpy masts of 
the little Rhody would permit), and at the 
signal gave three times three hearty cheers 
before the admiring- thousands on shore. This 
was followed up by again bedecking the ship 
with bunting, firing a salute of twenty-one 
guns, and at night illuminating with lanterns. 
The city also was illuminated, and a great mass- 
meeting was held at Pierce's Hall, at which 
the Rhode Islanders " exchanged congratula- 
tions with the townsfolk over the fall of Rich- 
mond, the surrender of Lee and his army, and 
the downfall of the rebellion," so that Jack 
literally retired that night in a blaze of glory. 
In the midst of these scenes of festivities 
came the appalling news of the assassination 
of President Lincoln. On April i8th, Com- 
mander Trenchard assembled his officers and 
men at muster, and read general order No. 51, 
which concluded with these words : " The 
officers of the Navy and Marine Corps will, 



332 The Old Navy. 

as a manifestation of their respect for the ex- 
aked character, eminent position, and inesti- 
mable public services of the late President, 
and as an indication of their sense of the 
calamity which the country has sustained, 
wear the usual badge of mourning for six 
months. The Department further directs that 
upon the day following the receipt of this or- 
der, the commandants of squadrons, navy 
yards, and stations will cause the ensign of 
every vessel in their several commands to be 
hoisted at half-mast and a gun to be fired 
every half-hour, beginning at sunrise and end- 
ing at sunset. The flags of the several navy 
yards and marine barracks will also be hoisted 
at half-mast." On the following day the offi- 
cers and men who could be spared from the 
ship attended services at the First Unitarian 
Church. 

The Rhode Island's pleasant stay at Belfast 
was cut short by an order from Secretary 
Welles, dated April i8, 1865, which said: 
" Naval recruiting, except to persons holding 
honorable discharges, has been suspended for 
the present. You will proceed to New York 
and put the men you have enlisted for three 
years on board the receiving-ship, and receive 



Last Cruises 'of the "Rhode Island. 



OOJ 



on board as largfe a draft as the Rhode Island 
can carry of men having a year more or less 
to serve, whom you will take to the West Gulf 
Squadron at Mobile or Pensacola. Having 
delivered the draft you will return to New 
York without delay." 

Amid many Godspeeds and with waving of 
handkerchiefs the Rhode Island left Belfast, 
April 24th, bound for New York. The gun- 
boat arrived in New York and on April 30th 
put to sea. On May 3d, Commander Trenchard 
ran into Charleston, where for the first time 
in four years he had the pleasure of seeing 
Old Glory waving from the battered ramparts 
of Fort Sumter. The touching sight is noted 
by Commander Trenchard as follows: "At 
11.45 '^•^^- ^ sent an officer in with the pilot- 
boat to convey despatches to Rear-Admiral 
Dahlgren, and upon the officer returning, be- 
tween 3 and 4 P.M., we got under way. The 
squadron off Charleston was rejoicing over 
the late victories by saluting, dressing the 
ships, etc. It was truly a pleasing sight to 
behold our good old flag waving over the walls 
of Sumter and the other forts." 

Rapidly skirting along the Florida coast, 
touching at the principal ports with which she 



334 The Old Navy. 

became so familiar during the war, the Rhode 
Islajid on May 5th, while near Carrysford 
Light, fell in with one of her old friends, 
namely, a reef. The vessel struck lightly and 
fortunately sustained no serious damage. 
Dropping anchor in Mobile Bay, Commander 
Trenchard got into his barge and pulled up to 
the city, where he delivered despatches to Rear- 
Admiral Thatcher, commanding the West Gulf 
Squadron. In returning down the bay. Com- 
mander Trenchard notes: "We had a fine 
view of the fortifications, their extent, and the 
obstructions in the river, which were much 
greater than I had imagined." Transferring a 
number of her of^cers to the vessels of this 
squadron, and taking on board others in their 
place, the Rhode Island proceeded northward 
and arrived at Hampton Roads, May 2 2d, 
brinofinof the news that St. Marks and Talla- 
hassee, Fla., had surrendered to the Union 
forces on the 9th. From Hampton Roads the 
Rhode Island made her way to New York, 
reaching the Navy Yard May 23d, where the 
supernumeraries were sent to the receiving- 
ship Noi'th Carolina, and the invalids to the 
hospital. 

To people living in the city a trip to Cen- 



Last Cruises of the "Rhode Island." 335 

tral Park is a matter of no special significance, 
but to the sailor just returned from long ser- 
vice on the ocean, the sight of the green lawns 
and carefully trimmed shrubbery is one of ex- 
quisite delight. It so proved to Commander 
Trenchard, who visited the park with his family 
soon after his return from his last cruise. He 
notes : " Paid a visit to Central Park in com- 
pany with my family and enjoyed the ride 
through its beautiful grounds exceedingly. 
Found that great improvement had taken 
place since our former visit. It is indeed a 
lovely spot, and in course of time will vie with 
the finest parks in the world." 

The following order, dated May 27, 1865, 
sent the Rhode Islmtd again to sea : " Proceed 
with the Rhode Island to Mariguana Passage 
and relieve Commander Patterson as senior 
officer of the convoy service fleet. The Taco7na 
has recently sailed from New York to report 
for duty as one of the convoy fleet, and the 
Seneca will sail shortly under similar orders. 
The Galatea, now on this duty, is represented 
as being in a bad condition, and should be sent 
to New York as soon as her services can be 
spared. It is not likely that this convoy ser- 
vice will be required much longer. The coal 



336 The Old Navy. 

depot of the fleet is at Cape Haytien. Orders 
for the James Adger to return to New York 
on being reHeved by the Rhode Island here- 
with transmitted." 

The Rhode Island left New York for Cape 
Haytien, June 4th. At 10.20 a.m. of the 9th, a 
stranee sail was sigfhted to the south-southeast, 
and after an hour of hard chasing, it was over- 
taken and found to be the English steamer J/<9;2- 
tezuma. On arriving at Cape Haytien, where 
he found the United States vessel ya7nesAdger, 
Commander Patterson, and the Galatea, Com- 
mander Nicholson, Commander Trenchard 
noticed that a marked change had come over 
the bearing of the British officials toward 
American officers. Early in the war the 
Rhode Island had been received with scant 
courtesy, while the Confederates had been 
entertained with lavish hospitality. The day 
following the Rhode Island's arrival at Cape 
Haytien the British cruiser Lily, Captain 
Henaee, came in from Port-au-Prince, her 
commander making a call on Commander 
Trenchard a few hours later. In response to 
the cordial invitation of Captain Henage, 
Commanders Trenchard and Patterson went 
aboard the Lily the next day. On the follow- 



Last Cruises of the "Rhode Island." 337 

ing Sunday Captain Henage, in company with 
Mr. Dutton, the Enghsh consul, visited the 
Rhode Island and attended divine service. 
The next day Mr. Dutton again paid a visit to 
the Rhode Island, and on leaving was saluted 
with seven guns. 

At this time a revolution was under way at 
Cape Haytien and fears were entertained for 
the safety of the foreign residents. For their 
protection a detachment of the Rhode Island's 
marines was landed, together with a detachment 
from the Galatea, for the protection of the 
American consulate. Leaving these men 
ashore, the Rhode Island ^^ViX. to sea June 20th 
for the purpose of escorting the mail-steamer 
Costa Rica through that part of the West 
Indies and also for receiving from her letters 
and mail from New York. The Rhode Island 
fell in with the Costa Rica off the northwest 
point of Mariguana Island, and after receiving 
a supply of ice and the mails, convoyed her to 
the island of Navassa, and then returned to 
Cape Haytien. 

Commander Trenchard now learned that 
friction had been excited between the natives 
and the foreign population on account of the 
landing of the marines. The American bark 



338 The Old Navy. 

Abdel Kedar, laden with coal for the squadron, 
had recently arrived from Philadelphia, and as 
a precautionary measure a boat, under the 
orders of Acting-Ensign Robert O. Lanfare, 
with eighteen armed blue-jackets and two 
marines, was sent to take a party of American 
ladies on board the Abdel Kedar, as it was 
deemed unsafe for them to remain on shore. 
On Sunday, July 2d, Commander Trenchard 
landed one hundred armed men from his ship 
for the protection of the consulate, which was 
threatened by the excited populace. A similar 
detachment was landed from the Lily under 
Captain Henage, the two divisions joining 
forces in the public square. 

This movement gave rise to the rumor 
amontr the natives that the Americans and 
English were about to take the town by as- 
sault. The natives consequently rapidly con- 
centrated their forces for the purpose of making 
an attack, and for a time it looked very much 
as if a battle might be precipitated. Fortunate- 
ly the officers on both sides were cool enough 
to await explanations, and when assured that 
the only object of the Americans and English 
was to protect their consulates the " Committee 
of Public Safety" admitted their right to do 



Last Cruises of the ** Rhode Island." 339 

this, but suggested that the seamen be with- 
drawn and a guard of only twenty men be left 
at each consulate. As the Committee of Pub- 
lic Safety agreed to furnish a guard of honor, 
and promised that the consulates would not be 
molested, the sailors were re-embarked. 

For the next week or so, the officers of the 
warships at Cape Haytien watched the battle 
between the Government and insurgents, the 
latter replying only at long intervals on account 
of the short supply of gunpowder, occasioned 
by the explosion of their magazine, July 15th. 
At 8.30 P.M., July 19th, the people in the 
Rhode Island 'w&VQ attracted by sharp musketry 
firing on shore, which was continued until 
nearly midnight. It was ascertained after- 
ward that some refugees had attempted to 
escape from the consulate. Some of them had 
succeeded in securing a boat and were pushing 
off when they were fired upon by the guard. 
This so frightened the refugees that they re- 
turned to the shore, when they were seized by 
the guards and on being taken to the Palace 
Square were shot. " A most brutal act," wrote 
Commander Trenchard. On the morning of 
July 2 2d, the Rhode Island's guard, stationed at 
the American consulate under the order of 



340 The Old Navy. 

Actine-Ensien Lanfare, was recalled to the 
ship. 

The following order from the Secretary of 
the Navy, dated June 24th, 1865, ended the 
career of the Rhode Island as a cruiser : " The 
continuance of the convoy service is unneces- 
sary ; therefore order the Galatea to Philadel- 
phia and proceed with the Rhode Island to 
New York." In pursuance of this order the 
Rhode Island, on the evening of July 2 2d, left 
Cape Haytien and began her final homeward 
.passage. Arriving at New York it was found 
that fever had broken out in the ship's com- 
pany, it having been brought aboard by the 
men who had been sent on shore for guard 
duty. After being quarantined, the Rhode 
Island was allowed to proceed to the Navy 
Yard, and two years later she was sold to her 
original owners, the steamboat company run- 
nine between New York and Charleston. 




CHAPTER XXIV. 



CLOSING SCENES. 



HAVING passed through the Civil War 
in the most creditable manner, Com- 
mander Trenchard nearly met death in a most 
prosaic way. On the close of the war, he was 
appointed executive officer of the Brooklyn 
Navy Yard, and on September 9, 1865, while in 
a picket-boat in the East River, he witnessed a 
collision between a ferry-boat and an English 
steamer. Observing that the ferry-boat was 
in need of assistance, Trenchard directed his 
men to run alongside, and in attempting to 
gain the deck of the ferry-boat he missed his 
footing and fell into the swift current of the 
river, where, in the confusion of the moment, 
he undoubtedly would have been drowned, 
had it not been for the prompt assistance 
given by John Taylor, a seaman who was in 

341 



342 The Old Navy. 

charge of the picket-boat. Taylor, with rare 
coolness and judgment, gave the necessary or- 
ders for extricating his boat from its position, 
and in a few moments rescued his com- 
mander. 

Promoted to the rank of captain, July, 1866, 
Trenchard in 1869-71 commanded the flagship 
Lancaster, of the South Atlantic Squadron. 
It was while near Montevideo that the officers 
of a Russian warship gave a dinner to the offi- 
cers of the Lancaster. These Russians had 
queer ways of expressing their friendship. 
One of them was to seize the cruest of honor 
and, raising him bodily on their shoulders, 
carry him three times around the festive 
board, yelling and shouting all the time senti- 
ments which generally ended in " itski " or 
" ishtoff." Captain Trenchard, who was by 
nature inclined to be dig-nified and cere- 
monious, was much disturbed by this bois- 
terous exhibition of friendship on the part 
of his hosts. But there was no help for it, 
and when they finally placed him on his 
feet, he brushed himself together as best 
he could, and made a heroic effort to look 
pleased. 

With the rank of commodore, he served 



Closing Scenes. 343 

three years as an Inspector of the Third Light- 
house District, having his headquarters at 
Staten Island. It was while performing this 
duty that Trenchard introduced a reform in 
the lighthouse department, which has been 
maintained to this day. Previously, light- 
house keepers and their assistants had been 
accustomed to wearing any kind of clothing 
they chose. Trenchard's suggestion that they 
be uniformed was adopted, and now the keep- 
ers wear a neat, distinctive dress, which is con- 
ducive to good order, and stimulates their 
pride in the service. 

There were 137 lighthouses and light-ships 
in this district, for which Trenchard was re- 
sponsible, and he considered it one of the 
greatest compliments of his life when, at the 
close of the service, he received a letter of 
praise from George W. Blunt, Secretary of 
the Board of Commissioners of Pilots, New 
York. Blunt had become famous for his per- 
sistent growling and fault-finding in all matters 
pertaining to navigation, and to have him 
actually say something good about the man- 
agement of lighthouses was indeed a marvel. 
His letter, dated New York, October 6, 1875, 
said in part : " I am desired by the Board and 



344 The Old Navy. 

I do convey to you its good wishes in your 
sphere of duty, and I thank you in its behalf 
for the uniform courtesy and promptness with 
which you acted, while filling the office of 
Lighthouse Inspector for the district, upon 
the necessarily troublesome and numerous re- 
ports of displaced buoys." 

In 1875, August loth, Trenchard attained 
the rank of rear-admiral in Uncle Sam's 
navy, and after serving as chairman of a 
special board at San Francisco, he was ordered 
to command a North Atlantic Squadron, hav- 
ing the famous Hartford for his flagship. 
During the exciting political campaign in 
which the partisans of Hayes and Tilden each 
claimed to have elected their candidates to the 
Presidency of the United States, Trenchard 
was in command of the naval force that was 
collected at Washington, for the purpose of 
preserving order. The squadron consisted of 
the Hartford, Plynnouth, Ossippee, Swatara, 
Alliance, Ranger, Essex, Huron, Wyandotte, 
Adafns, the store-ship JVew Hampshire, and 
the monitors Passaic, Canonicus, Catskill, Dic- 
tator, Ajax, Saugus, MaJiopac, Manhatta7i, 
Mojitauk, and the Lehigh. Fortunately the 
services of the navy were not required. 



Closing Scenes. 345 

While in command of this force, Rear-Ad- 
miral Trenchard perfected a naval brigade, 
which could be landed and made to co-operate 
with the ' army or to act independently on 
shore. Speaking of this brigade, Major-General 
Barry wrote to Trenchard October 30, 1876: 
" I desire to express to you, and through you 
to the officers and men of the Hartford, 
S haw mu i, diX\d Adams, my high appreciation 
of, and hearty thanks for, the compliment of 
the review ashore which they so handsomely 
paid me this afternoon. The opportunity 
thus afforded me to judge of the discipline 
and qualifications for shore duty of your com- 
mand, has served to strenofthen the convictions 
already formed, that such a body of gallant 
and intelligent officers and men may be relied 
upon under any and all circumstances." 

Trenchard received orders July 26, 1877, to 
send the Powhatan to Washino-ton with all the 
available seamen and marines of the squadron, 
some fifteen hundred in all, in view of antici- 
pated riots in that city. The scene in the 
Powhatan was exciting. The blue-jackets 
were busy getting ready for land work. They 
knew only one duty, and that was the defence 
of the Stars and Stripes. They were equipped 



346 The Old Navy. 

with Remington rifles. Trenchard proceeded 
to Washington, where he met his staff, and for 
the time being, the Ebbitt House was the 
headquarters of the North Atlantic station. 
Fortunately, our gallant tars were not com- 
pelled to raise their hand against their own 
countrymen. 

Early in January, 1877, Rear-Admiral 
Trenchard arrived at Hampton Roads in the 
Essex, and visited Admiral Bantatoff and the 
sailor princes in the Russian frigate Svetlana. 
On February 7th, a banquet was given in the 
Hartford to the Grand Dukes Alexis and 
Constantine, and other distinguished Russian 
visitors. 

Rear-Admiral Trenchard took a prominent 
part in the Decoration Day ceremonies of 
1878. On June 3d of that year, he received a 
letter from General H. A. Barnum, the Grand 
Marshal of the occasion, who said : " On be- 
half of our Memorial Committee, G. A. R., I 
hereby tender to you, and through you to the 
officers of the Powhatan and the Minnesotay 
our most grateful thanks for your participation 
in our Decoration Day parade, to the impos- 
ing and unprecedented display of which, even 
for the metropolis, the presence of your repre- 



Closing Scenes. 347 

sentatives of the navy contributed so largely. 
I but echo the voice of the people and the 
press when I assure you that the naval batal- 
lion contributed the most distinofuished and in- 
teresting organization in the grand parade." 

It was on Decoration Day, 1880, that Rear- 
Admiral Trenchard attended a dinner given 
by the Union League Club in New York 
City, and in response to a toast, gave these 
prophetic words : " You produce the money, 
and we will produce the ships." This was in 
reference to the slander circulated at that time 
that the United States was unable to build a 
modern warship. 

After serving on a special board in Wash- 
ington, Admiral Trenchard was retired July 
10, 1880, having seen twenty-eight years of 
sea-service out of a total of forty-five years' 
honorable connection with the navy. In 
1879-80 he was the senior Vice-Commander 
of the New York Commandery of the Loyal 
Legion. He died in New York City, Novem- 
ber, 1883. 



NOTES. 



3. Colonel Hippesly, an English army officer, raised a 
regiment of cavalry for service in the cause of Vene- 
zuelan independence. He wrote an interesting 
account of his campaigning. Young Hippesly 
served in the Venezuelan navy, and subsequently as 
lieutenant in the Royal Navy. 

18. Captain Trenchard's commanding the station en- 
titled the Cyane to a complement of musicians. 
Captain Trenchard having held individual com- 
mands was often called commodore, a rank then not 
official in the navy, 

45. Lieutenant Trenchard served in the Mexican War 
during the closing scenes at Vera Cruz. 

loi. On the nth of October, 1859, official information 
was received that the Japanese commissioners 
would visit the United States. Immediate steps 
were taken to prepare accommodations for them, 
and cabins were built on the Fowhaian's quarter- 
deck. At Honolulu, en route to San Francisco, a 
magnificent reception was given by the King and 
Queen. The Ministers, principal officers of the 
government, and a number of foreigners were 
present. Our resident Minister entertained the 
commissioners the next evening. 
349 



350 



The Old Navy. 



no. The Rhode Island had extra hose supplied for the 
novel purpose of repelling boarders. Her com- 
mander stated he intended to attack an enemy head 
on, he having great confidence in the iron plating. 

112. The Keystone State was commanded by Lieutenant 
Woodhull. Trenchard, then executive officer, suc- 
ceeded him as commander, making three trips with 
government despatches and ordnance, to and from 
New York. 

1 5 8. The officers had gathered on deck in the cabin — a 
light structure. Trenchard and one or two officers 
had gone below to place their valuables in tin 
boxes. A moment later a huge wave washed over 
the deck, destroying the cabin and sweeping over- 
board those who had sought refuge there. Three 
days elapsed before the Constitution hove in sight. 



INDEX. 



Abbot, General Henry L., 318 
Abdel Kedar,ihe, 328 
Aboukir, the(R. N.), 242 
Achen (Sumatra), 58 
Adams, President, 3 
Adams, Master Israel G., 325 
Adams, the, 3, 4, 345 
Adelaide, the, 45 
Adger, the James, 336 
Adieu, the, 261 

Africa, west coast of, 7, 8, 10, 11 
Alabama, tht, 146, 181, 196, 268 
Alabama, the (Confederate), 

225-227, 233, 240, 244, 267, 

289, 368 
Alden, Commander James, 126, 

156, 187 
Alert, the, 15 
Alexis, Grand Duke, 346 
Algiers, 6 
Alico Light, 268 
Alico shoal, 230 

Allmond, Commodore's Secre- 
tary, John, 97 
Alteta, the, 152 
Alvarado, the, 122 
Americans, the, 64, 65, 74, 84, 

89, 90, 92, 95. 98-100, 109, i8r, 

338 
Anderson, Mr. Wm., 299 et seq., 

308, 317 
Andrew, Captain Alex. McK., 

13. 15 



Andrews, the, 183 

Anna Elizabeth, the, 291 

Annapolis, 34 

Annita, the, 14 

Appalachicola, 123, 124, 128, 

140, 152, 166, 198 
Appleton, Master's, Mate G. H., 

298, 316 
Aramanda, the, 149 
Ariel, the, 288 
Aris tides, the, 139 
Arnold, General, 199 
Aroga, the, 174 
Aroostook, the, 174 
Arthur, the, 16S 
Asba, Don, 58 

Aspinwall, 152, 271, 288, 290 
Atchinson, Rev. Dr., 76, 97 
Augusta, the, 145, 149, 194, 224 
Aux Cayes, 243 

Bacon, Rev. Samuel, 21 
Bahama Channel, 225, 230, 231 
Bahamas, 281 
Bailey, Captain, 140 
Bainbridge. Captain, 2 
Baldwin, Commander, 123 
Ball, the, 326 

Baltimore, Md., 15, 16, 116, 152 
Baltimore, the, 174, 325, 326 
Bankhead, Captain J. P., 212, 

214, 222 
Banshee, the, 295 



351 



352 



Index. 



Batiterer, the (R. N.), 6/, 8i 

Baracosa, the, 207 

Barataria. 154 

Baravata, the (R. N.), 254 

Karbary, 9 

Bantatoff, Admiral, 346 

Barnard, General, 321 

Barnum, (jeneral Hejuy A., 346 

Barry, General, 345 

Bassett, Captain's-Clerk New- 
comb M., 114 

Bat, the, 325 

Bayeas, the, 275 

Beaufort, 149, 216, 217, 220, 294, 
301, 305, 310, 311,325 

Beaumont, Captain, 296 

Beck, Captain's-Clerk F. C. T., 
171, 240 

Belfast, Me., 326 et seq., 332 

Bell, Commodore Chas. H., 290 

Bell Peck, the, 163 

Belle, the, 273 

Berrien, Captain, 253 

Bienvi/le,\.\iQ, 164 

Bingham, Surgeon |E. P., 296, 
316 

Black, Engineer Chas. C, 292 

Blake, Captain, 123 

Blanco, the, 239, 242, 279 

Blunt, Geo. W., Pilot Commis- 
sioner, 343 

Boston, 46. 122, 136, 161, 194, 
204, 207, 209, 211, 268, 276 

Boston Light, 283 

Boyle, Lieutenant Junius, 28 

Bradbury, Master's- Mate Ed- 
ward E., 313 

Braine, Commander, 216 

Breeze, Captain, 134 

Breeze, R. -Admiral Samuel, 264 

Brett, Major, 53, 54 

Bridge, Paymaster H., iii, 163 

Brooklyn, the, 125, 294 

Brown, Master's-Mate Daniel 
Rodney, 171, 215, 217, 219, 
220, 222, 240 

Bryant, Lieutenant, 143 

Bryson, Commander Andrew, 259 



Buchanan, Captain (Confeder- 
ate), 296 
Buena Vista, 22 
Bull Run, battle of, 158 
Bull's Bay, 163 
Butler, General, 186 
Btizzanl, the, 325 

Caches, Jean, 40 
Cahanta, the, 214 
Calcutta, 53 

Canihrictge, the, 132, 138 
Camden, Me., 289 
Canonicus, the, 300, 301 
Canton, 60, 64, 78 
Cape Ann, 45 

— Canaveral, 195, 325 

— de Verde, 21 

— Fear, 117, 302,324 

— Fran(;ois, 251 

— Hatteras Light, 146, 214 

— Haytien, 244, 246, 250, 257, 
266, 268, 2-,o et seq., 278, 336 
et seq. 

— Henry, 132, 138, 210 

— Hood, 283 

— Lookout, 290, 324 

— Maji, 289 

— May, 293 

— Mount, 22 

— of Good Hope, 51 

— Town, 51, 52, 122 
Cardenas, 225 
Carley, Captain, 222 
Carrysford Reef Light, 133, 144, 

152, 165, 193, 197. 334 
Casey, ISlajor Thos. Lincoln, 299, 

302 
Cassel, Master's-Mate Douglas 

R., 124 
Cause, Master's-Mate A. B., 114 
Cayugii, the, 185 
Cedar Keys, 205, 206 
Challenger, the(R. N.), 242 
Champion, the, 270, 271, 281 
Chandler, Surgeon's-Steward 

William. 240 
Chandler's Island, 125 



Index. 



353 



Chang, Colonel, 98 

Charleston, 15, II7, I18, 129, 

149, 162, 163, 176, 223, 224, 

329. 333, 340 
Chase. Bishop, 25 
Chesapeake Bay, 320 
Chichora, the, 216 
China, 48, 65, 66, 88, 94, 98, 100 
Chinese, 60, 62, 64, 66 et seq., 

78, 79, 82, 89, 96, 99 
Chippeiva, the, 25 
Christophe, Emperor, 246 
Christophe's Castle, 245, 246 
Churchill, Acting-Master Henry, 

114. 123 
Cienfuegos, 186 
Ciroviattdcl, Hospital Ship, 79 
Citizen, the, 152 
Clarendon, Lord, 46 
Clark, Lieutenant, 153 
Clitz, Lieutenant J. M., 252 
Cochin China, 59 
Cognomen, the, 136 
Colby, the, 217, 220, 221 
Concertina, the, 266 
Concord, the, 32 
Congo River, 22 
Congress, the, 179 
Co7inecticut, the, 106, 129, 137, 

184, 197, 213 
Constantine, the Grand Duke, 

346 
Constellation, the, 4 
Constitution, the, 5, 32, 157 
Contest, the (R. N.), S 
Cooper, Mr., 28 
Cooper, Lieutenant, 147 
Cooper, James Fenimore, 6 
Cormorant, the, (R. N.), 67 
Corsica, the, 254 
Costa Rico, 188 et seq., 337 
Craney Island, 178, 179 
Crawford, John, 170 
Creighton, Colonel, 143 
Crocker, Acting-Master C. A., 

240 
Cronstadt, the, 276, 277 
Crosby, Lieutenant, 199 
23 



Crossman, Lieutenant, 166 
Crowningshield, Ensign A. C, 

278 
Crusader, the, 124 
Cuba, 16 

Cumberland Harbor, Cuba, 235 
Cumberland, the, II2, 113, 129, 

179 
Cuyler, the, 124, 153, 156, 295, 

296, 325 
Cyane, the, 8, 10 et seq., 17 

et seq. 
Cygnet, the, 232 

Dahlgren, R., Admiral, 333 

Dahoiny, the, 230 

Dakota, the, 174 

Dale, the, 130 

Dandy, the, 267 

Darling, Paymaster William 

Lee, 292, 316 
Dasher, the, 14 
Davenport, Captain, 290 
Davidson, Master's-Mate E. R., 

114 
Davis, the, 126 
Davis, Acting-Master, 153 
Davis, Capt. Chas. H., 145 
Davis, y. L., the, 198 
Deal, Paymaster's-Clerk Frank 

H., 171, 174. 240 
Decatur, Capt. Stephen, 2, 4, 5, 

26 
Decatur, Capt. Stephen, Jr., 4 
Dechosa, the, 14, 16 
De Soto, the, 154, 156, 201 
Diamond Shoals, 217, 220 
Diana, the, 156 
Dictator, the, 326 
Dimmick, Col. Justine, 192 
Dixie, the, 116 
Dobson, Mr., 277 
Dog Island, 166 
Dorsetshire, Eng., i, 2 
Doty, Captain, 153 
Doty, Lieut. G. W., 143 
Douglas, Paymaster Richard 

Hall, 114, 171, 200, 239 



354 



Index. 



Downes, Capt. John, 28, 58 
Drayton, Capt. Percival, 221 
Dunlop, Commodore (R. N.), 

243 
Dunn, Paymaster Elisha W., 

123 
Du Pont, Captain, 65, 66, 113 ; 

Flag-Officer, 145, 157, 161, 

197, 205, 223 ct seq. 
Dutton, Mr., English Consul, 

337 

Eagle, the, 109 

Eckford, Plenry, 5, 6 

Edgar, Mr., 278 

Egg Harbor, 325 

Elder, Mr., no 

Eldridge, Paymaster L. W., 201 

Elgin, Lord, 64 

Elizabeth River, 172, 320 

Elizabeth, the, 138 

Ella, the, 229 

Elliot, Commodore, 61 

Ellison, Capt. Francis B., 124 

Ellmore, Master's-Mate Chas. 

F., 240 
Eleuthera, 261-263 
Endyinion, the, 13 et seq. 
England, 88, 89, 93 
English, the, 64, et seq., 70, 87- 

89 etseq., 151, 338 
Eric son, the, 174 
Errand, the, 321 
Esperanza, the, 14, 15 
Essex, the, 346 
Ethan Allen, the, 152 
Etting, Captain's-Clerk Ruben, 

152 
Eytinge, Captain, 257, 258 

Fairfield, the, 43, 44 
Fall River, 170 
Farley, Lieutenant, 147 
Farquhar, Lieut. Norman L., 

259, 264, 277 
Farragut, Admiral, 27, 39, 167, 

185, 187, 189, 203 
Fearnaught, the, 139 



Fei, Prefect, 98 
Fernandina, I2I, 144, 182, 208 
Field, Ensign Samuel H., 171 
Fisher, Master's-Mate John P., 

3'5 
Flash, the, 196 
Florida, 33, 184 

Florida, the, 149, 163, 182, 265 
Florida, the (Confederate), 225 

et seq., 231, 232 
Flynn, Engr. R. N., 271 
Foreman, Surg. Samuel R., 114 
Forrester, the (R. N.), 67 
Fortune Island, 225 
Fort Fisher, 293, 298 et seq. ; 

engagements at, 106, et seq. 
Fort Hewy, the, 198 
Fort Jackson, 186, iSg, 191 
Fort yackson, the, 300, 314, 321 
Fort Jefferson, 198 

— Monroe, 173, 180, 194, 211, 

320, 332, 326 

— Morgan, 295 

— St. Philip, 186, 189, 191 

— Sumter, 158, 333 

— Warren, 190, 192, 194 
Fox. Gilbert, 2, 4 

Fox, Asst.-Secy. of the Navy, 

Gustavus v., 320 
Fox, Surg. John L., 97, 294 
Foy, Signal Qr. -Master, Chas. 

H.,317 
Frame, the Henry, 199 
France, 60, 94 
French, Engr. Anthony, 171, 

268 
French, General, 143, 145 
French, Major, 134 
French, the, 64-68, 70-75, 92- 

96 
Funchal (Madeira) 41, 

Galante Maria (Island), 279 
Galatea, the, 293, 335 et seq. ; 

340 
Gallatin, the, 45 
Gallinos River, 11, 14 
Galveston, 126, 200, 202, 225 



Index. 



355 



Gambier, Ohio, 25 

Gardner, Master's-Mate Henry, 

315 
Garfield, Captain, 295 
Gatthreust, the, 15 
Gem, the, 149 
Gem of the Sea, the, 196 
Gemsbock, the, 138 
George Peabody, the, 129 
Georgetown, 196 
Georgia, the, 163 
Georgia, State of, the, 213, 214, 

325 
Gettysburg, battle of, 291 
Gibraltar, 5, 9, 127 
Gilman, Paymaster, 153, 156 
Gislin, Mr., 269 
Godfrey, the, 181 
Godon, Capt. Sylvanus Wm., 

204, 223, 224 
Goldsborough , Flag-OfBcer Louis 

M., 172, 178, 179 
Governor, the, 145 
Grand Gulf, the, 291 
Grant, General, 320, 321 
Grattan, Sir Edward, 46 
Great Britain, 9 
Great Isaac Light, 266 
Great Stump Key, 205 
Green, Commander Chas., 121, 

270 
Greenland, the, 15 1 
Greenock, 170 
Griswold, Luke, 215 
Guard, the, 152, 167, 170, 197 

Habersham, Lieut. A. W., 97 

Halifax, 197 

Hamilton, Henry, 317 

Hammond, Paymaster Chas. E., 
167 

Hampton Harbor. 175, 176 

Hampton Roads, 131, 137, 148, 
163, 172, 173, 179, 181, 192, 
195, 196, 203, 204, 211, 212, 
216, 222, 224-226, 293, 294, 
298, 319. 322, 324, 334 

Hang Fu, Governor, 96 



Harbor Island, 267 
Harriet Lane, the, 129, 187 
Harriman, Mr. H. D., 217, 220 

et seq. 
Harris, Ensign Ira, 278 
Hart, Coxswain, 84 
Hart, Lieut. John E., 156 
Hartford, the, 167, 187, 344 

et seq. 
Hastings, Constant, 14 
Hathaway, the, 268 
Ha tier as, the 144, 152, 220 
Hatteras Inlet, 10, 129, 143, 

163, 215, 228, 322 
Hatigkty, the (R. N.), 66 
Havana, 151, 152, 225, 230, 

231, 251, 252, 289 
Hayti, the President of, 243 
Heiskill, Paymaster, 294 
Helena, the, 201 
Hell Gate, 288 
Henage, Capt. Algernon (R. 

N.), 336 et seq. 
Henderson, Engineer Frank, 

292 
Hennessy, Paymaster, 166 
Highflyer, the (R. N.), 28, 89, 

go et seq. 
Hilton Head, 145, 157, 163 
Hippesly, Gustavus, Col., 3 
Hodges, Mr., 19 
Hoffman, Captain, 275 
Holmes's Hole, 286, 287 
Hong-Kong, 58, 65, 91, 92 
Hope, Admiral, 66, 73 et seq., 

78, 79, 81, 82, 92 
Hope, the, 182 
Hornet, the, 22, 23 
Horton, Lewis A., 215, 279 et 

seq. 
Hosack, Midshipman, 14 
Hudson, Sailing-M aster Wm., 

10, 14 
Hughes, Engineer John A., 292, 

298 
Hull, Captain, 2 
Hunter, Lieut. Chas., 156 
Huntszille, the, 126, 158 



356 



Index. 



Illinois, the, 174 

I710, the, 127 

Iroquois, the, 151 

Irving, Paymaster Washington, 

202 
Irwin, Acting-Gunner John W., 

240 
Isabel, the. 13S 

Jackson, Wm. E., 158 

Jamaica, 200, 254 

Jamestoivn, the (Confederate), 

176 
yameslown, the, 4, 121, 122 
yane Savage, the, 181 
Janus, the (R. N.), 167 
Japan, 66 
Jefferson, Mr., 277 
Jenkins, Capt. Thornton A., 

204 
yL7vctt, the yohn, 197 
yohn Adams, the, 6, 22 
yohnson, tlie, 170 
Jones, Mate, 277 
Jones, John, 215 
Jouett, Lieut. James E., 156 
yudah, the, 132 
yulia, the, 151 
yuniata, the, 252, 272, 278, 294 

Kanza, de, Commander (R. N.), 

232 
Katahdin, the. 1S7, 1 88 
Kearsarge, the, 127, 311 
Keller, Asst.-Engineer Geo. W., 

240 
Kellogg, Ensign Augustus G., 

278 
Kenon, Beverly, 189, 191, 192 
Kestrel, the (R. N.), 67 
Key, Captain, 61 
Keystone State, the, 112, 1 13. 

265 
Key West, 105, 123, 129, 139, 

152, 159, 163, 165, 184, 197, 

199, 202, 205, 207, 251, 266 
King, Acting-Master, 266 
King. Dr., 158 



Kingfisher, the, 153, 184, 185 
King^ton, engaL;ement off, 6 
Kingston, St. Vincent, 151 
Knapp, Shepard, the, 257 et 

seq., 266, 268 
Knox, Lieut. Samuel R., 156 

Lamb, Colonel, 315, 317 

Lancaster, the, 342 

Lanfare, Ensign Robert, 291, 

3'3. 33S. 340 
Lap~viiig, the, 265 
Lardner, Flag-Officer James L., 

105, 197, 272, 278, 279, 2S1 
Lavis, Engineer Greenville, 171, 

240 
Lavis, Engineer Joseph C, 171, 

240, 277 
Lawrence, Captain, 2 
Lee. Gen. Robert E., '^31 
Lee, the(R. N.), 66 
Lee, Mandarin, 98 
Lee, Commander .Samuel Philips, 

118, 202 
Leeke, Captain (R. N.), 22 
Lemon, Colonel (R. M.), 67, 78, 

84 
Levant, the, 33 
Libby Prison, 280 
Lily, the (R. N.), 336, 338 
Lincoln, President, 256, 273, 

295, 331 

Lincoln, the Kate, 144 

Little A ddie, the, 282, 285, 287 

Liverpool, 137, 138 

Logan, Hugh, 215 

London, 138, 274 

Louise, the, 14 

Louisiana, the, 190 ; powder 
boat, 301 et seq. 

Luscomb, Master-at-Arms Rich- 
ard, 235 

Macdonough, Captain, 2 
Macedonian, the, 124 
Alackinaiv, the, 296 
Maclay, Ensign \V. W., 278 
Madigan, Captain, 199 



Index. 



157 



Magua, Great, 257, 269 

Mahopac, the, 300 

Mallacca, 58 

Mallebran, E., 16 

Malvern, the, 293, 300, 301, 307, 

319. 322 
Manassas, the, 13S 
Maraguana Island, 268 et seq., 

289. 335, 337 
Maratanza^ the, 174, 2i6 
Margaret and Jessie, the, 263 ei 

seq. 
3Iario?t, the, 136, 139, 143, 152, 

153, 166 
Marsh, Isaac C, 171 
Marshall, Asst. -Engineer James 

L., 240 
Martin, Rev. Dr., 76 
Marvin, Judge, 151 
Massachusetts, the, 125, 126, 

153 
Massasoit, the, 282, 285, 2S8 
Matamoras, 201 
Matanzas, 152, 170, 197, 325 
McBride, Mr., no 
McCarthy, Governor, 31 
McClellan, the, 251 
McCoy, Engineer Wm. H., 292 
McCutchen, Chief - Engineer 

John F., 114, 171, 200, 240, 

192, 316 
Mcintosh, Lieutenant, 33 ; Cap- 
tain, 158 
McKean, Flag-Officer, 135 
McKenna, Captain, 82 
McNeil, they. G., 167 
Mediterranean, the, 4, 8, g, 32, 

39 et seq. , 45 
Menck, Asst. Engineer Isaac, 

24 
Mentar, David D., 203 
Alercediia, the, 137, 181, 193, 

197, 220, 270 
Merriniac, the, 325 
Merritnac, the (Confederate), 

1T2 et seq., 1"]"] et seq. 
Mervine, Lieut. William, 13, 

14; Flag-Officer, 105, 130, 135 



Mexican War, 10 

Mexico, Gulf of, 10, 130, 135 

Jlliami, Xhc, 197 

Midnight, the, 155, 168 

Millen, Admiral (R. N.), 243 

Miller, Midshipman, 156 

Minnesota, the, 65, 130, 174, 

176-179, 294, 320 
Mississippi, the, 65, 124, 153, 

186 
Mississippi River, 124, 137, 153, 

185 
Mitchell, Commodore J. K., 

189, 191, 192 
Mobile, 329, 333, 334 
Mobile, the, 140, 153, 199, 202, 

225 
Mobile Bay, 294 
Mohican, the, 163 
Mole, St. Nicholas, 233, 244 
Mona Passage, 233 
Monadnock, the, 282 et seq., 

300 
Montauk, the, 124, 166, 212, 

213 
Montgomery, the, 124, 140, 156 
Montgomery, Lieut. John D., 

10, 13, 14 
Monticello, the, 138, 21& 
Monticello, the (merchant ves- 
sel), 289 
More, George, 215 
Morning Star, the, 325 
Morris, Master's-Mate Jacob, 14 
Morrison, Mr., 45, 46 
Mosquito Inlet, 182, 197 
Mountain Ea^le, the, 144 
Mount Vernon, the, 149, 296 
Mumford, 14, 16 
Munro, Thomas, 14 
Myer, Acting-Master T. N,, 

114, 171 
Myrmadon, the (R. N.), 22 

Naime, Mr., 268-277 
A^arragansett, the, 1 70 
Nassau, 207, 225, 229, 252 et 
seq., 274 



;58 



Index. 



N^ational Guard, the, 184, 253, 

257, 260. 270, 277 
Naval Academy, 34, 35 
Naval Hospital, Boston, 277 

New York, 147 

Pensacola, 296 

Philadelphia, 34 

Pilot Town, La., 185, 189 

Port Royal, 261 

Navassa, 269, 271, 337 

Navy Department, 22, 32, 131, 

158, 174, 224, 225 
Navy, Secretary of the, 2, 3, 29 

et seq., 102, 104, 137,340 
Navy, United States, 3, 4, 125 
Navy Yard, Boston, 165, 208, 

264, 282 
Na\7 Yard, Brooklyn, 5, 1 10, 

130, 137, 147, 143, 288, 297, 

341 
Navy Yard, Pensacola, 156 

Philadelphia, 160, 161, 

Nevis, 279 

New Berne, 305, 325 

Newcastle, 159 

New Inlet, 302, 306, 309, 310, 

324 
Neiu Ironsides, the, 306, 312 
New Londor. the, 153 
New Orleans, 124, 127, 151, 

185 dt seq., 197, 199, 202, 

208, 230, 266, 329 
Newport News, Va., 176, 179 
Newton, Midshipman M. C, 13, 

14 

New York, 5, 16, 33, 41, no, 
116, 129, 136, 146, 148, et seq., 
160, 196, 197, 229, 230, 243, 
261, 266, 267, 271, 273, 275, 
287, 326, 340, 343. 347 

Niagara, the, 127, 135, 140 et 
seq., 153 

Nicholson, Captain, 65, 336 

Nicholson, Capt. Wm. C, 118 

Nidam, the, 156 

Nightingale, the, 167 

A^ile, the (R. N.), 243 

Nimrod, the (R. N.), 66 



Norfolk, 48, 112, 173, 180, 193 
A^orthern Light, the, 271 
Nosogary, the, 79 



O'Briett, Richard, the, 200, 

201 
Ocean Queen, the, 269, 272, 291, 
Ockaroke Inlet, 116 
Octorara, the, 174, 205, 252 
O'llare, Master's-Mate John, 114 
Old Point, 173, 176 
Oneida, the, 147 
O'Neil, Lieut. Chas. , 291, 315 
Ontario, Lake, 5, 6 
Onward, the, 164, 165 
Opossum, the (R. N.), 31, 32, 

66 
Oreto, the (Florida), 174, 263 
Orietttal, the, 243 
Orioie, the, 174 

Facile, the, 230 
Pamlico Sound, 116 
Painpiro, the, 153 
Pangborn, Henry H., 123 
Parkes, Sir Harry, 61, 62 
Passaic, the, 212-214, 222 
Pass a rOutre, 125, 135 
Patterson, Commander, 335, 336 
I'attison, Engineer \V. I, 292 
Paulding, Commodore H., 33, 

107, 113 ; R. -Admiral, 392 
Pawnee, the, 129, 148, 182 
Pearson, Capt. Geo. F., 48 
Pechili, Governor of, 72 
Pechili, Gulf of, 64, 66, 67 
Peiho, forts, 66, 95,96 
Peiho Forts, battle of the, 78 
Peiho River, 64, 65, 67, 71- 

73, 76, 91, 96, 100 
Pein, Prefect, 98 
Pei-Tang, 96, 98 
Pekin, 64, 77, 79, 96, 100 
Pendegrast, Flag-Officer G. J., 

118, 119 
Penguin, the, 183 



Index. 



359 



Pennell, Lieutenant J. A., io8, 

114, 1S3, 200-203 
Pennsylvania, the, 48 
Pensacola, 33, 124, 128, 134, 

135, 147, 153, 156, 158, 166, 

193, igg, 208, 333 
Peyisacola, the, 187 
Perr>', Matthew Calbraith, 10- 

Lieut., 14 
Perry, Oliver Hazard, Com- 
modore, 2 
Phantotn, the, 148, 149 
Phelps, Thos. Stowell, Rear- 

Admiral, 172 
Philadelphia, 34, 35, 37,39, 112, 

126, 151, 15S, 172, 275, 278, 

326, 33S, 340 
Philadelphia, the, 21 r 
Pickens, Fort, 156 
Plattsburg, the, 14, 16 
Plover, the (R. N.), 67, 75, 76, 

81, 82 
Pocahontas, the, 148 
Point Lookout, 301 
Polk, Captain, 135 
Pope, Lemuel, Acting-Master's 

Mate, 171, 312 
Port au Platte, 151 
Port au Prince, 244, 336 
Port Louis, Mauritius, 52, 53, 

57 
Port Mahon, 39, 40, 41 
Port Pray a, 18 
Port Royal, 145, 146, 149-151, 

157, 163, 193, 195-197, 203, 

204, 20S, 212, 222 
Porter, Admiral. 2gi, 293, 294, 

299, 300 et seq., 319, 320, 

322, 334 
Porter, Lieut. Essex, 224 
Portland, Me., 266 
Porto Bello, 284 
Porto Rico, 16, 278, 279 
Portsmouth, Eng. , 53 
Portsmouth, N. H.,32 
Po7-tsmouth, the, 185 
Pratt, Acting-Master Nicholas, 

313. 324 



Potomac, the, 58, 132, 146, 153, 

199 
Potomaska, the, 205 
Powell, Levin M., Capt., 199 
Powers, Engineer James F., 292 
Powhatan, the, 47, 49, 50, 52, 

57-60, 65, 66, 74, 87, 88, 91 

-94, 96, 97, loi, 127, 281, 

294, 322, 345 
Preble, Capt. George Henry, 

189 
Preble, the, 38, 39, 43, 124, 128, 

153 
President, the, 90 

Quaker City, the, 130, 197 
Qualla, Battoo, 53 
Queen, the, 325 

Pacer, the, 150 

Radell, Engineer Chas. W., 292 

Raleigh, the (Confederate), 176 

Ransom, Captain, 270 

Rason, Lieut. Commander, 82 

Ratcliffe, Mr., 16 

Reed, Captain, 22 

Restless, the, 163, 265, 266 

Rhind, Commander A. C, 304 

Rhode Islciitd, the, 26, 105 et seq., 
123, 124, 126, 128 et seq., 
146 et seq., 160, 161, 163, et 
seq., 174, 181 183 et seq., 
18S et seq.. Ill, 212, 21s, 21"], 
218, 221 et seq , 251 et seq., 
2-}0,et seq., 285 et seq., 304, 
306, 308, 310, 311, 313, 317, 
321 et seq. 

Richmond, Master's-Mate J., 
114, 185 

Richmond, the, 134, 135, 146, 
152, 187 

Ridgley, Capt. Daniel Boone, 
230, 233, 235, 237, 238, 242, 

243 
Roanoke, the, n8, 119, 129, 138 
Rodgers, Capt. C. R. P., 145, 

197 



;6o 



Index. 



Rodgers, Commodore John, 320, 
321 

Hoehuck, the, 149 

Rogers, Captain's-Clerk Lang- 
don S., 316 

Rogers, Master's-Mate, 277 

Rollins, (jeneral, 320 

Ronckendorff, Commander Wil- 
liam, 124 

Ixosiiia Clavpole, the, 4S 

Ross, Consul, 243 

Rugg, Engineer Chas. M., 292 

Russell, Lieut. John H., 134 

Russians, the, 69, 78, 83, 87, 92, 
342 

Rutter, Asst. -Engineer Geo. H., 
114, 171, 240 

Sabine, the, 138, 149 

Sabine Pass, 169 

Sablon, Louis, 14 

Sacketts Harbor, 6 

Sagamore, the, 166, 197 

Salem, N. J., 2 

Salt Key, 253 

Samuel Rotan, the, 198 

Sanderson, Midshipman, 14 

Sand Key Light, 136 

San Domingo, 289, 290 

Sands, Captain, 218 

Sands, lion. Joshua, 25 

Sands, Joshua R., R.- Admiral, 

25 
Sands, the Sarah, 52 
Sandy Hook, 293 
Sanford, Asst. -Surgeon John 

W., 97 
San Jactnto, the, 59, 174, 197 
San Salvador, 255 
Santa Rosa Island, 140 
Sanl,-e, the, 128, 151, 155 
Santiago de Cuba, 233, 241 
Santiago de Cuba, the, 1S4, 231, 

233. 235 et seq., 244, 251, 

254, 255, 257 et seq., 278, 

298, 300, 310 
Sargent, Mr., 269 
Saugus, the, 314, 320 



Saunders, Lieut. N. W., 322 
Savage, the Jane, 18 1 
Savannah, 129 
Savannah, the, 116, 117, 13S, 

145 
Saxon, the, 165 
Schenck, Commodore, 322 
Schufeldt, Hon. Robert W., 139, 

231 
Science, the, 14, 16 
Scioia, the, 167 
Scott, Commander G. H., 113, 

216 
Sebastopol, 67 
Seminole, the, 1 18, 174 
Semmes, Lieut. Commander, 

iSi 
Semmes, Capt. Raphael, 127, 

182 
Seneca, the, 335 
Senegal River. 21 
Sewell's Point. 180, 181 
Seymoboe River, 15 
Shanghai, 77 

Shaw, Commander T. Dana, 156 
Shawmut, the, 345 
Shelro, 21 

Ship Island, 153 If/ ^(f^., 167,169 
Shock, Chief Engineer Wm. H., 

Sierra Leone, 22 

Singapore, 59 

Smith, Commander, 125 

Smith, Lieut. Frederick R., 312, 

314, 315 

Smith, Coxswain Chas. H., 215 

Smith, Surgeon, 189 

Smyth, Ensign, 298 

Snapper, the (R. N.), 23 

Sombrero Light, 134 

Somers, Midshipman, 5 

Somona, the, 252 

South Carolina, the, 126, 152 

Spencer, Captain, 290 

Sprague, the Seth, 2b6 

Sprague's Rhode Island Artil- 
lery, 158 

Spray, the, 325 



Index. 



361 



Squadron, Atlantic, 162, 195, 

ZI2 

— Gulf, 10, 127, 12S, 162, 195 

— West Gulf, 333, 334 
St. Andrews, 198 

— Augustine, 182 

— Bias, 116 

— Helena, 44, 50 
Si. Louis, the, 125 
St. Marks, 334 

— Mary, 16, 123, 139, 152, 166, 
184, 291 

— Mary's River, 121, 122 

— Simon's, 144, 341 

— Thomas, 230, 278, 279 

— Vincent, Grand Port, 28 
Siadt Mnckede, the, 50 
Star, the, 187, i83 

Stars a?id Stripes, the, 200 
Steady, the (R. N.), 144, 242 
Steedman, Captain, 157, 164 
Stevens, Com. Thomas Holdup, 

230, 232 
Stevens, Master's-Mate Wm. H. 

H., 171 
Stewart, Captain Chas., 9 
Stone Inlet, ig6 
Strike, William P., 15 
Stringham, Lieutenant, 13, 14 ; 

Flag-Officer, 120, 129 
Stromboli, the, 230 
Strong, Com. James H., 124 
Stuart, the Mary, ig6 
Sumter, the 127, 159 
Susquehanna, the, 146, 251 
Svetlana, the, 346 
Swift, Mr. Robert, 278 

Table Bay, 52 

Tacoma, the, 166, 334 

Tallahassee, 334 

Taku, forts, 72 

Tanner, Lieut. Zera L., 291, 
298, 312, 314, 3x8 

Tasmania, the, 278 

Tattnall, Captain Josiah, 59, 60, 
66, 74, 76, 83-87 ; Commo- 
dore, 173, 176, 179 



Tattnall, Lieutenant John, 143 
Taylor, Captain A. S., 97 
Taylor, Ensign, Albert 171, 239 
Taylor, John, 341 
Ten Ung-Hau, 98 
Terry, Gen. Alfred, 318 
Thatcher, R. -Admiral, 298, 334 
Thompson, Commander, ir8 
Thornton, Commander, 322 
Ticonderoga, the, 272, 277, 278, 

394 _ 

Tientsin, 64 

Tiers, the W. //., 275 

Tioga, the, 251, 266 

Toey-Wan, the, 74 et seq., 83- 
84, 86, 87, 92, 95 

Totten, Colonel, 290 

Townsend, Cajjtain, 221 

Trenchard, Capt. Edward, i, 10, 
23, 45 ; Master Commandant, 
6; Captain, 11-14, i7. 19-24 

Trenchard, George, 2 

Trenchard, James, 2 

Trenchard, Midshipman Ste- 
phen Decatur, 8, 25 et seq., 
38, 39, 41, 43, 44 ; Lieutenant, 
45, 46, 48 et seq., 53, 58, 
60, 61, 76, 77, 84 et seq., 97, 
105, 107, 112-114, 116-118, 
122 et seq., 131 et seq., 161 
etseq. ; 167, 169, 180, 182, l«4, 
189, 193 et seq., 200 et seq.. 
Commander, 208 et seq., 212, 
216, 222, 223, 227 et seq., 234 
et seq., 244 et seq., 25 1 et seq., 
260 et seq., 271 et seq., 283, 
287, 291 et seq., 302, 306, 308 
et seq., 318, 322 et seq., 334 
et. seq. ; Commodore, 342 ; Ad- 
miral, 344 

Trinidad, 202 

Trinity shoal, 202 

Tripoli, 4, 5, 6 

Truxton, Commander, 10, 216 

Tully Robinson, the, 187 

Tunis, 6 

Turner, Midshipman, 5 

Tuscarora, the, 127, 294 



36: 



Index. 



Twing, Captain, 320 

United States, the, 6, 8, 9, 15, 16, 

21, 22, 42, 65, 86, 102, 115 
United States, the, President of, 

77. loi 
Ut-Wa College, 61 

Vandalia, the, 205 

Vanderbilt, the, 174 et seq., 233, 

238 
Van Horenberg, Asst. -Engineer 

John, 240 
Vera Cruz, 273 
Vermont, the, 204 
Vicksburg, 271, 326 
Victoria, Queen, 45 
Vincennes, the, 12S, 135, 153, 

igq 
Vixen, the, 45, 46 
Vixen, the (Confederate), 297, 

298 
Voorhees, Lieutenant, 13, 20 

Wabash, the, 116, 117, 145, 150, 

197, 204, 294 
Wachusett, the, 174 
Wadsworth, Captain, 22 
Wagg, Morris, 215 
Wainwright, Acting-Master J. 

M., 108 
Walker, R. R., 170 
Wallace, Acting-M aster' s-Mate 

R. W., 298, 315 
Walton, Mr., 297, 298 
Wamsutta, the, 181 
Wanderer, the, 126, 152, 177, 

205 
Ward, John E., 66, 74-76, 96 
Warrington, 193 
Warsaw Sound, 181 
Washington, 113, 345, 346 



Washin;iton, the, 158 

Water Witch, the, 124, 128, 135, 

153 
Watlings Island, 267, 277 
Watson, Master's-Mate Eugene 

W., 114, 171, 276 
Webb, James R., 114 
Webb, Surgeon Samuel G., 

171, 239 
Weehawken, the, 224 
Welles, Hon. Gideon, 111-113, 
115, 191, 192, 195, 196, 2t6, 
22s, 264, 326, 332 
Welles, John, Pilot, 185 
Westfieid, the, 187 
Whitestone, 288 
Wilcox, Acting-Master's-Mate 

Calvin S., 240 
Wilkes, R. -Admiral Chas., 225, 

233, 238, 297 
Wilkinson, Captain (Confeder- 
ate), 1S9, 190 
Wilies, Captain (R. N.), 79, 268 
Williams, Rev. Dr., 76, 97 
Williams, Acting-Master Wil- 
liam, 114, 171, 194, 276 
Wilmington, 216, 265, 276, 301, 

302, 324 
Wilson, Colonel William, 143 
Windward Passage, 269 
Winslow, Commander, 310 
Wissahickon, the, 183, 185 
Wood, Chaplain Plenry, 97 
Wyandotte, the, 12S, 197 
Wyman, Com. Robert Davis, 
255, 259, 266 

Yankee, the, 113 
Yard, Com. Edward M., 130 
Yeh, Viceroy, 60, 61, 63 
JVoung Bovcr, the, 138, 198 



flfl-16.6. 










<^. 



■1^ 



c" 



... <^ ^ I. 



>- 0^ 







.... A. ' '^0 







■P 


<>' 


J 






■'j "^ 


o 




<^^ 


S^ 


■\' 


N^ 


•^J 


^ 










.^ 5 • 




- \/:;. 




► o 


t-. 






,^;.^ 






' 


,<^'^ c ° " = * "^ 


^ .' 








.-^ '%=^■^- >.. -t 




i 






\>* , "b 




-^.^^ 



r. ^^<^ 



^-.^^" 
















'^b 



^^ A** 



r'=^^ ^ '0- '<^ . 



.^^ 



^"^ ^ 



















^'' ^ / 

^/ .^ ti. ^:<^^* t.^ ^ 

'1 OOBBSBROS. "^ '•,,■,•■' A^ O^ '* oTo ' ,0' -^ " . , -. ' «,■« 

1ST. AUGUSTINE ^; » ^^ » ^T?^ - ^^ . c'^\:tT V.'/.-/ , ^"S. 

-,^Ml FLA. ; ^3^ vTV V(Z^M\^* A ^. . ,.3^ ^C. V<- 



